LUNAR SHADOW is a Heavy Metal band that formed in Germany in 2014. The released an EP in 2015 entitled "Triumphator." Their debut EP "Far From Light" was released in early 2017, and contains eight tracks, and a total running length of close to 60 minutes. Let's talk about some of the standout tracks. "Hadrian Carrying Stones" is the opening track. Hadrian was a Roman emperor who was famous for building a wall marking the edge what was at the time Britannia, and was considered one of five of the most humanitarian emperors during his short reign. The song is a combination of Classic Metal with some Power Metal and even some folky elements. There is also some ambiance in this mammoth ten-minute song. Mostly riff driven, with dual guitar harmonies dominating the sound, the vocals are kept to a minimum, but vary from cleans to deeper spoken words.

"Frozen Goddess" is a slower affair, still with guitars in high presence, akin to what IRON MAIDEN have made a career from. Well, if you're going to pick a band that influenced you, you couldn't really do much better than that. Sometimes they sound a bit fuzzy however in the final mix. "Gone Astray" is a tender, more emotional presentation, with lamenting vocals and sweet but sad clean guitars. It's a tale of regret that they tell very convincingly. The Kraken is a legendary sea monster, of gargantuan size, originating in Norwegian tales. Often appearing as a giant squid, he would fraught the seas with peril, destroying merchant vessels. Their song "The Kraken" is very reflective of the beast, a ten-minute opus of changing riffs and harmonies. Like a "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," it has a grand sound and several interconnecting varied passages. Cimmeria is a fictional land of barbarians, and the home of the great leader Conan in myth and legend. The song "Cimmeria" is ruminative of this, in the sense of the quickened tempo and overall feeling of impending war.

"Earendil" closes the album, with the sounds of rolling waves on the sea shore, and gulls singing gently. According to author J.R.R. Tolkien, Earendil was a child of man and elf, and a great seafarer, who carried the morning star across the sky. It's the shortest song on the album, but for me has the most impact. Very well written and the story goes so well with the sound.
Classic Heavy Metal has made a comeback in years of recent, and fans still long for new bands in that sound that remind them of the glory days of the genre. LUNAR SHADOW has done a pretty good job in that regard, though at times I found a general lack of dynamism and energy. It was just plagued by too many mid-tempo passages that lingered a bit too long for impact. One thing that I feel they do very well however is tying lyrical themes with their music, and the many different myths/legends that some of the themes are centered around. That certainly keeps the album interesting as a whole.