Chapter IV: The Reckoning

Signum Regis

Ok, another Christian Based Power Metal Band, second one I had the chance (chance?) to […]
By Johnny Jackal
December 8, 2015
Signum Regis - Chapter IV: The Reckoning album cover

Ok, another Christian Based Power Metal Band, second one I had the chance (chance?) to review these last few weeks. Let's face it, Christian Based bands, of any style pretty much, can be overbearing with the lyrics and the message they portray. Sometimes it can be way too much to handle and I appreciate someone believing in something bigger, something powerful, I don't mind. If they want to relate it into music, that's their choice and I have no problem with that at all. If the message and lyrics aren't too centered towards it (yet they still talk about it nonetheless), it can be some great stuff and SIGNUM REGIS was a pleasant surprise anyways.

It's not too much Jesus, God and the Holy Mary thankfully. Yet there is a powerful message about the wages of sin and the temptation of man, that is something that can be retraced to other metal bands in other genres that usually don't speak about religion and whatnot. Faith is not necessarily something religious, it can be faith in morals you stuck upon yourself to follow in the life of everyday. That is something I can detect in what they are singing about. Much more than reading the bible each day and follow it word by word without thinking for yourself.

Musically this is a prototypical power metal band, nothing fancy and straight to the point. The guys from Slovakia do a great job of keeping on a great tradition of European Power Metal Bands. A lot of the guitar solos remind me of Dimebag Darrell's solos in PANTERA, which isn't as strange as it may initially sound since PANTERA was a Power Metal Band before refining their sound in the early nineties to be the Groove Metal Titans we all love. The solos are really a nice touch to this album. I was not expecting this particular touch but it was great surprise and it really fit well with the vibe of the album.

The album sends you on a journey, there is a progression in each song and every song gives you another chapter to the story. It really is constructed as a story of redemption and self fulfilment. It begins with a very strong and very uplifting song like "Lost and Found" , the lyrics talk about being down and out and trying to find your way throughout all life's obstacles and finding solace in something bigger than thy self. Song 2 and 3 gives you a sense of self discovery, the lyrics talk about trying to understand the secrets of life itself and interpreting whatever you see or hear by your own means. As for "Quitters Never Win" and "Tempter of Evil", these are complementary songs, saying you have to go on, even if it hurts you to do so, you got to persevere and stay true to your beliefs or life concepts whatever the costs. I thought this was quite powerful and thought provoking.

I felt the album fell flat a little bit with "The Kingdom of Heaven" and "Bells are Tolling". It's the end of life of the main character in a sense. Being he was able to save himself and achieve his ascent to Heaven and as for the last song of the album, the "Bells are Tolling", this is the end of the journey; life itself is finished but time marches on. The album does give a really good story of redemption, courage and achieving an ultimate goal.

Even though the music isn't the most original, this is a good album with a great story and it achieves much more than the usual Power Metal band that talks about Dragons, Wizards and Conquests. This is a nice departure from that.

6 / 10

Had Potential

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"Chapter IV: The Reckoning" Track-listing:

1. Lost and Found
2. The Secret of the Sea
3. The Voice in the Wilderness
4. Prophet of Doom
5. The Magi
6. Quitters Never Win
7. Tempter of Evil
8. When Freedom Fails
9. The Kingdom of Heaven
10. Bells Are Tolling

Signum Regis Lineup:

Mayo Petranin - Vocals
Ronnie König - Bass
Filip Koluš - Guitars
Ján Tupý - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Jaro Jančula - Drums

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