BATTLESWORD is a melodic death metal band from Germany, who formed in 1999. Their latest album “(XX​)​V - Of Tales and Tragedies,” is their fifth full-length album; they have released two demos as well. While there is nothing technically ‘bad’ about this album, I, unfortunately, could not get into it. On paper, it has all the hallmarks of music that makes for a compelling listen. Its heavy riffs find a decent balance among their melodic tinges. The vocals are the best part of the album—deep growls and screams but intelligible to a degree. With that being said, the band’s rhythm section isn’t terribly exciting. The bass and drums, while serviceable, don’t really stand out to me in any particular way. That could be an issue with the production/mix as both factors are clearly centered on the guitars and vocals.

The songs themselves, much like the rhythm section or maybe because of it, aren’t overly exciting either. While there aren’t any bad songs and I didn’t feel the need to skip any of them along the way, there aren’t any ‘wow’ moments or huge catchy ones that make any of them standout to me after the album is over. In essence, the album is worth a listen but that’s about it—there aren't too many reasons to return. To be honest, I only gave it multiple listens because I obviously have to write this review. The first full song, “Memento (te hominen esse)” pretty much lets the listener know exactly what to expect from the rest of the album. If you like this song, you’ll like the rest of the album; if you don’t, well, go ahead and turn it off. Every song basically sounds the same so there isn’t any need to wait for surprises that won’t come.

The album is at its best when the band is firing on all cylinders such as the faster parts of “Break The Seven Seals.” The rest of the song is highlighted by simple but groovy riffs but the slower parts are better, as they let some atmosphere soak in for a minute. Shorter tracks, like “Storm of the Coffin-Born,” fare a little better because the band doesn’t have time to get into its own way. This is a rager that’s hardly three minutes long, allowing the band to zero in on the true essence of their melodic death sound. Ultimately, this isn’t a terrible album but it’s just average. I didn’t hate the time I spent with it but now that the review is written, I don’t see myself picking it back up. There have been dozens of truly great albums released this year, both in melodic death and other genres, and this one just doesn’t have the chops to compete.