KONQUEST – Dark Waters

Oh goodie, here’s another so-called “band” with a perfectionist leader who thinks they can get away with playing all the instrumentation themselves on the albums and having hired guns play with them on tour because nobody wants to see a one-man show! To be fair, Konquest, the so-called “band” from Italy, have two studio albums under their belt and have been a thing since 2019, so they must be doing something right. With that little rant out of the way, props to Alex Rossi for having a vision and sticking with it, no matter how crazy it seems. Konquest’s third studio album, Dark Waters, will be released on April 24, 2026 through No Remorse Records. Dark Waters is a concept album that focuses on conflicts surrounding the human mind. The album highlights how the human mind can be both an escape and a nightmare. Everything from the opening track, “Turn the Lights Off,” to the closing track, “Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream),” was carefully constructed to convey the struggles of the album’s protagonist, whose biggest battle is with his uncontrollable mind and emotions within.

The Music Gets the Job Done

The songs are simply heavy metal. With the exception of “Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream),” there’s nothing complicated nor unique in the material presented on the album, but the music is solid and enjoyable. Though there are musical bits and pieces that resemble classic ‘80s Iron Maiden, which was a nice touch! “Turn the Lights Off” has a suspenseful and dramatic intro before soaring into a pedal-to-the-metal anthem with a sing-along chorus and flashy guitar work. “One Ticket for One Ride” is an absolute blast and was carefully constructed for a live setting with the “woah woah” lines in the chorus. The shredding guitar solo adds to the spectacle of it all. “The Giant” is an instrumental that doesn’t feel like a show-off number, which is surprising considering Rossi does all the instrumentation on the album. Instead, it showcases him in a more humble light playing the type of music he loves. Nothing groundbreaking, but it gets the job done.

“Man with a Stone” is a tricky one because it starts off with a piercing guitar riff that would’ve worked well throughout the entire song. But instead, the song works around an understated, chugging guitar riff that’s still great, but the opening riff is more feisty and thrilling. Still, the instrumentation is very good, it’s got a solid beat, and the guitar melodies are gorgeous. There’s not a shortage of melody throughout the album, which works to Rossi’s benefit. There are no ballads on the album, so the most varied song on the album is “Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream),” the album’s grand finale. It’s a heavy metal orchestra that experiments with genres such as hard rock, doom metal, and martial music.

Final Assessment

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, Dark Waters is a solid and enjoyable heavy metal album. It’s not going to change the game of the genre, but it’s another musical piece to include in heavy metal’s legacy. Sonically, the album is amazing and like Iron Maiden, the bass playing is nicely done! For those who are interested, give Konquest’s Dark Waters a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. Turn the Lights Off
2. Mindwanderer
3. One Ticket for One Ride
4. Dark Waters
5. The Giant
6. Man with a Stone
7. Over the Edge
8. Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream)

Band Lineup

Alex Rossi – everything

Check out the lyric video for the title track from Konquest’s Dark Waters!