GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS hailing from Ipswich, UK were formed in 2019. The symphonic Death Metal outfit release their sophomore album "Riddles Of The Sycophants", which was mixed and mastered by Ronny Björnström (NIGHTRAGE; PAGANIZER; SORCERER) at Swedish Björnström Sound & Production. It has a length of about 50 minutes. The album was released via Dutch Thrash, Power, and Death Metal specialists Hammerheart Records.

The album starts with a cinematic, tension-building pre-lude transitioning into a powerful and dark guitar riffing at mid-tempo during the verse part. The melodic framework is grim intensified by the orchestral arrangements. The growling vocals are versatile and cover almost the complete guttural range. There are also a few clean vocal parts during the break. Beside the vocal versatility, there are also many changes in tempo and rhythm, ranging from mid-tempo to some frantic parts at blistering pace. "March Of The Titans" is a great opening track setting the scene for the songs to come. "Lands Of Snow" starts with a slow orchestral part introduced by the strings, the brass, and a choir. It is a track at a measured tempo with thunderous riffing and epic melodies at the beginning. After the opening verse parts, there is a more aggressive and direct bridge at mid-tempo leading to the epic chorus part. There are many twists in the melodies, the rhythm, and the vocal contributions with deep growls, screams, and cleans all over the place. The choir brings that all together during the chorus part. "Lands Of Snow" is certainly an album highlight from a songwriting perspective and the track was released as video, with the YouTube link provided below. "Empires Burn At Dawn" continues with the thunderous sound and the choir in the background. The track is a back and forth of epic parts at a measured tempo and flesh-ripping riffing at crazy speed, blast-beat outbursts, and double-bass assaults. Besides the symphonic Death Metal sound, there is an extra layer with the vocals, which come as growls, screams, and cleans in addition to the choir.

"The Lycaon King" starts with tight riffing and catchy, oriental inspired melodies. It is a more direct song, emphasizing on the riffing and drumming driving the song forward. The track has a simple verse/chorus structure, where the growls have clean support during the chorus parts. The arrangements with the choir contributions intensify the dark sound but are more in the background. "The Lycaon King" is arguably one of the heaviest tracks on the album. "The Alkonost" has an orchestral focused start with melancholic melodies at a slow tempo. It is a track with many ballad-esque features, although there are a few melodic changes towards a more aggressive sound in-between. The vocals are a mixture between growls and cleans; with the clean vocals contribute more to the chorus parts. Towards the end, the track becomes more and more frantic to an unexpected finale. "The Alkonost" is with more than seven minutes one of the longest album tracks. "Sacramental" is a mixture of crushing verse parts at crazy speed and epic chorus parts at a measured tempo. The orchestral arrangements including the choir are more in the focus during the chorus parts, while the guitars, drums, and growls dominate the track during the verse parts. Altogether, it is a great song consisting of many elements, which perfectly fit together.

"A Maiden's Scorn" starts with a short flute pre-lude transitioning into a bombastic opening of riffing and orchestral arrangements at mid-tempo. The arrangements take center stage alongside the vocals and the choir. There is a recurrent feature in the songs that the clean vocals typically contribute the chorus parts in addition to the growls. The riffing is thundering throughout and there are many shifts in tempo and rhythm including some hammering parts at high speed. "Behind The Wall" starts with a short piano intro leading into a slower verse part with a lot of double-bass drumming and the growling vocals following the melodies. The piano is an important element during the chorus parts. The melodies are melancholic. Highlight is the contributing lead guitar solo. The album finishes with the title song, and it starts with sharp riffing, crushing basslines, double-bass attacks, and strings supporting the Death Metal assault. As time goes by, the track transitions into the typical album patterns. It is this symbiosis of the flesh-ripping parts and the more orchestral driven, melancholic parts which makes the track very exciting listening to. It is a perfect final song for the album.

GHOSTS OF ATLANTIS deliver a very good symphonic Death Metal album. "Riddles Of The Sycophants" consists of several layers. It has crushing Death Metal parts, it has darkness, it has melancholy, and it has epic and bombastic elements. It is an album of constant change, with the versatility of the vocals being the best evidence of it. The constant change keeps the listener on his/her toes and keeps the album fresh and dynamic. The songwriting is very mature and the album is well produced. "Riddles Of The Sycophants" is a gift for symphonic Death Metal fans and it is a huge step forward for a young and promising band.