ANCIENT BARDS were formed in 2006, and they are from Rimini, Italy. The symphonic Power Metal outfit release their fifth full-length album. “Artifex” was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (DEATHLESS LEGACY; ELVENKING; NIGHTMARE). It has a length of almost 63 minutes, and it was released via German Power, symphonic, and progressive Metal specialists Limb Music. The album includes several guest musicians and Gabriele Boschi (WINTERAGE) performs on the violin. The album starts with an orchestral introduction to “Luminance And Abyss”. It is a mixture of a bombastic and cinematic sound driven by the strings, brass, and a spoken-word part. It is a three-minutes intro and sets the scene for the things to come. “My Prima Nox” is a traditional Power Metal song with prominent orchestral arrangements and choir support. It is a fast track with tight guitar riffing and a lot of double-bass drumming during the verse parts. The vocals are cleans, which cover quite a bit of the vocal range from deeper to higher pitched notes. There is an extended break with many twists and turns in rhythm. It all leads to a short but contributing lead guitar solo. The choir plays an important role and gives the track an extra dimension.

“The Vessel” starts with a mid-tempo instrumental part with the guitars and the orchestra, leading into a quiet verse part driven by the violin and the vocals. The track quickly transitions into mid-tempo with powerful guitar riffing accompanied by the orchestral arrangements. “The Vessel” comes with guest vocalist Francesco Cavalieri (WIND ROSE) and he brings many Folk Metal vibes onto the table. The choir plays again a significant role in the song. “The Empire Of Black Death” has a fast start with tight guitar riffing, transitioning into the mid-tempo verse part with catchy melodies. The nature of the track changes with the bridge as pace and aggression level raises with the introduction of the growling vocals performed by Marc Jansen (EPICA). This part of the track has the most Death Metal features, not only because of the growls, but also because of the introduction of the blast-beats. I would characterize “The Empire Of Black Death” as an interesting mixture of symphonic Power Metal and symphonic Death Metal and I think the track is one of the album highlights. After the heavy “The Empire Of Black Death”, there is a drastic change in sound with “Unending”, which is the album ballad. The verse parts are driven by the piano and the vocals, while for the choruses, the whole orchestra, guitars, bass, and drums join in. It is a track perfectly suited for the voice of Sara Squadrani, who has a very emotional performance. As the track goes on, it becomes more and more epic as the choir joins in. However, the vocals remain always on top of the track and give “Unending” an additional layer.

“Ministers Of Light” also starts with the piano and the vocals, but the mood is very different. It is a darker sound, and the vocals are more seductive. The track has a never-ending introductory part with the brass and drums joining in. Finally, after more than two minutes, the track develops into a measured tempo with thunderous guitar riffs. It is a bit of a back and forth as the second verse part is quiet again with the vocals leading through the track. It is an intense song, and it has been released as video, with the YouTube link provided below. “Proximity” is a track with tight guitar riffing, double-bass drumming and the powerful choir at measured tempo. The riffing changes to a more thunderous approach as the vocals join in. The break starts with the orchestral arrangements led by the strings and the brass, accompanied by the guitar riffs and it all ends with the quiet piano. “Soulbound Symphony” raises finally pace again after a short orchestral introduction and then by transitioning into traditional Power Metal mode with flesh-ripping guitar riffs, double-bass drumming, and the vocals. The chorus parts change to a measured tempo with a bombastic part as the choir and the brass join in. The break is heavy with powerful riffs and an extended lead guitar solo, which is the highlight of the track. “My Blood And Blade” has more aggression and directness in the guitar riffing. It is a mid-tempo track with heavy verse parts and more epic and bombastic chorus parts, triggered by the choir and the brass. The heavier part of the track as the verse parts and the break are supported by deep-lying male growls.

“My Blood And Blade” is one of the heavier tracks on the album. “Mystic Echoes” starts with another symphonic introduction, this time led by the brass. Finally, the choir starts contributing and after around two minutes, it develops into a quiet track with only the vocals and the violin contributing. It does not take long for the choir to join, and eventually the track becomes faster and faster. The fast Power Metal parts are introduced by the deep-lying male growls. It is a track with many layers, changing tempi and rhythms.  “Under The Shadow” is introduced by the vocals and tension-building symphonic arrangements. It all leads into a mid-tempo track that has heavy parts with tight guitar riffing and the deep-lying growls, melodic and easy-to-listen parts, and epic and bombastic parts driven by the choir and the orchestral arrangements. There are a lot of tempo and rhythm changes throughout the track, and it is easy to get lost. Highlight is the break with the contributing lead guitar solo. “Sea Of Solitude” is another ballad, and the first part is driven by the piano, violin, and the vocals. For the choruses, more instruments join in, but on top of all this are the vocals as Sara Squadrani grabs the opportunity to shine with a very versatile performance. She has a remarkable vocal range that, in my opinion, is often not really utilized. The track transitions seamlessly into the finale of the album. “Artifex” is an orchestral song including the choir, which provides the bombast into the track. A fitting end to the album.

ANCIENT BARDS deliver bombastic symphonic Power Metal. “Artifex” includes elements from traditional Power Metal, melodic Metal, symphonic Metal, and even symphonic Death Metal at times. The orchestral arrangements are the focus of the album, and the choir provides the bombastic elements. All is kept very well together by an excellent vocalist. The album is a bit lengthy and some of the symphonic introductions could have been tightened up. The album is well produced. Fans of bombastic symphonic Power Metal will be happy with the new release of ANCIENT BARDS.