Epic Heavy Metal isn’t anything else than playing traditional Heavy Metal with epic musical elements, something created by acts as RAINBOW on Dio’s era, MANOWAR, IRON MAIDEN (due some of its lyrics and songs) and others. But such words don’t mean to take off the magic behind music, so it’s just a short (and incomplete) explanation. The best experience with the genre is to hear and understand it in a subjective way, and a tip: along with the band’s above, you can check “Iriath”, the first full-length of the Greek act ARYSITHIAN BLADE.

The recordings were done on two different studios: guitars, bass, keyboards and drums were recorded at Arysithian Studio, and the vocals recorded at JK Studio (here by Dimitris Kontizas). The mixing and mastering were done at Infinity Studio by the hands of Kostas Scandalis, and it seems that the band searched for something organic and simple, without endless digital editions, but defined and understandable. And things worked in a pretty good way, allowing their music to be understood, but aggressive and with weight (but on the next time, some adjustments must be done on the choice for the instrumental tunes, because the band’s music needs something better). And the cover is a work of Anastasios Karapapazoglou (who painted it), and Kostas Athanasoglou (who did the layout), and everything depicts visually what the music of the band means.

“Iriath”, “Riders of Nimir”, “Crescent of the Two Moons”, “Dragonsword”, “Temples of Obsidian Moonlight”, “Arysithian Blade”, “Crystal of Eaaren Zynn”, and “In the Name of Eseth” are very good songs, depicting a band that knows how to act as it, and not a recollection of musicians, all of them showing the trio’s great musical potential, and correcting some points (the vocals can improve in the future releases). And this is (of course) a very good first release. Musically the band plays in a trench that combines traditional Heavy Metal in a way influenced by NWOBHM (pay attention on some technical parts of bass guitar to have an idea of what such words mean) with elements of Power Metal, a formula that is already known. But in their hands, things gain a new life, full of weight, a very good melodic appeal and a charming care on the instrumental arrangements.

As final words, one can be sure of one thing: ARYSITHIAN BLADE is heavy as steel, and “Iriath” is a fine first full-length,