Like one of Ced's other outfits ROCKA ROLLAS, BLAZON STONE takes it's name from another bands album. In this case we are talking about Pirate Metal pioneers RUNNING WILD. And with titles like "Wind In The Sails" and "Blackbeard", plus the pirate ship on the cover, and even the font used all screams homage, bordering on the pastiche, "Return To Port Royal" was BLAZON STONE's first LP from 2013.  This is the "Definitive Edition", where everything but the lead vocals were rerecorded in 2020, during the lockdown times.  And all by the creator Cedrick "Ced" Forsberg, who again played near as everything.  And like the ROCKA ROLLAS Definitive Edition, this is not without its faults, but also has the same great points too.

Ced is a riffing Metal Machine, and whilst the music is of the same Fast and Heavy Speed Metal, it is different enough to not sound a clone of his other works, that and the Piratical bent of the material in question rather than the overtly Metal Warrior approach as a little something different me hearties. However the one issue which is the same is the rhythm section, or lack of one.  CED doesn't do a bad job of the drumming, it is functional, but the bass is pedestrian at best, and non-existent at worse.  A full band situation with a drummer and a bassist would have made a significant difference to support the fine fretwork.  The other issue is the vocals.  Most of the time ERICK's singing is spot on and suited to the songs subjects, but at times feels a little stretched, for example "Wind In The Sails", looses quality.

Of the 10 original songs, "Return To Port Royal" and "Stand Your Line" rock hard and heavy, as does "High Treason", in fact there isn't really anything wholly bad (above mentioned points taken onboard), and nothing that deserves to walk the plank. The 2 bonus tracks are a bit throw away. The live version of "Stand Your Line" is Ok but not that different, and the almost obligatory RUNNING WILD cover "Black Wings Of Death" just serves to ram home the how close to their source material BLAZON STONE are, and detracts for me. No doubt Ced can certainly play the guitar, his treasure chest is stuffed full of riffs, and doubloons .  Erick's vocals, whilst not the strongest, suit the material, I just think different rythium section could have made a really good album into a truly definitive one.