RISE OF KRONOS hailing from Hamburg, Germany was formed as SURFACE in 2010 and renamed in 2021. They are a Death and Thrash Metal band. "Council Of Prediction" is the debut album under the new name. The album was produced by Eike Freese and Danny Meißner at the Chameleon Studios in Hamburg. It has a length of almost 38 minutes, and it was released via German label MDD Records, which has a long track record of Metal bands among their roster.

RISE OF KRONOS are not new in the business. As SURFACE, they released three full-length albums with their roots being in Thrash and Death Metal. SURFACE has been a recognized force in the German Metal underground, starting with their debut EP in 2011 and releasing the final album "River Of Souls" under their old name in 2019. The idea of the name switch was simply to have a fresh start, but keeping the legacy of SURFACE, and consequently, the band was renamed after the SURFACE album from 2015, "Rise Of Kronos". As RISE OF KRONOS, the band focus more on the Greek mythology and the Hellenic philosophy.

The album starts with an intro that builds up tension until it erupts into "Cosmic Order", which opens with aggressive guitar riffing at mid-tempo accompanied by a double-bass assault. The sheer brutality of the growling vocals add another layer to the track. Add a few blast-beats to the starting sequences, and you have a perfect opening of the album. The growls come often multi-layered and are between the medium to lower end of the guttural range. "Cycles" seamlessly continues with the Death Metal attack. It is another mid-tempo track at head-banging rhythm for most of the time with a lot of grooves in the riffing. The melodic framework is grim, and the track is one of the album highlights. "Cycles" comes in two versions. The second version is with HIRAES and CRITICAL MESS icon Britta Goertz as guest vocalist, and her appearance makes the difference regarding aggression and also dynamics, although the instrumental frame of "Cycles" does not change compared to the original version. The version with Britta Goertz is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below.

"Divine Betrayal" starts at mid-tempo, and it comes with plenty of double-bass and blast-beats. The guitar riffing is simple and monotone, but effective. The track is driven forward by the relentless drumming. There are a few tempo changes, most notably there is the switch to frantic speed for the short but contributing lead guitar solo. "Divine Betrayal" is another track that comes in two versions. Guest vocalist here is Lukas Swiaczny (STILLBIRTH), and similarly as Britta Goertz, he adds something extra to the song. "Boiled Alive" is a steamroller and it comes with plenty of Thrash Metal vibes in the guitar riffing. There are a lot of rhythm changes varying between a stomping and a mid-tempo head-banging rhythm. The riffing has a certain catchiness at times. "Boiled Alive" is the third track that is added as a second version, and it comes with Thomas Gurrath (DEBAUCHERY).

"Gladiator" starts with powerful and blood-freezing riffing at mid-tempo before it transitions into the verse part at blistering pace and Thrash inspired guitar riffing. The track has frequent changes between high-speed parts and mid-tempo parts, where the chorus parts go back to the dark melodies of the beginning. "Gladiator" is for me another album highlight. "Allegory Of The Grave" is the final original song and it is another mid-tempo banger in the same mould of "Cosmic Order" or "Cycles".

"Council Of Prediction" is a very good Death Metal album. It continues the legacy left behind by SURFACE. Strengths of the album are the brutality of the vocals and the drumming. The guitar riffing is kept simple for most of the tracks, which most often fits perfectly into the song concepts. The album has seven original tracks and three of them were added as a second version with illustrious guest vocalists. Given that the contribution of the guests gave each track something special, I am not sure why those songs were twice on the albums. However, that does not take anything away from the album, which has a very good production. "Council Of Prediction" is an album that will win easily over the SURFACE fans and will also attract a lot of new fans. Death Metal fans who like a few Thrash vibes will appreciate the album and look forward to watch RISE OF KRONOS live playing their new songs.