Amidst today's countless genres and subgenres, it's extremely refreshing to sometimes hear a band go back to Metal's roots, and even more so when brandished with modern flourishes. STONECAST are a French band that reincarnates classic MANOWAR, ICED EARTH and IRON MAIDEN sounds and melds it with their own modern identity, to create a classy, yet undisputedly heavy, epic metal album.

"Jakuta" is a veritable anthem that kicks off this rocket ride, dominated by a rumbling and steam-rolling riff, interjected by IRON MAIDEN-like flourishes cut in by percussive bass-playing characteristic of Steve Harris himself. In just the first track, vocalist Franck demonstrates his exceptional singing ability with a bloodcurdling scream that belongs in every Power Metal album. "Triumph" is a triumphantly heavy track at first; not necessarily fast, but the arrangement of drums and guitar gallops will make necks break and heads roll, right before we are halted to a stop by an inter-noodling duet by bassist Lionel and acoustic guitars. Much of this track consists of prominent ICED EARTH-like sounds, particularly in the grand, galloping sections. The sheer musicianship demonstrated on this track, and the interesting innovations made in its arrangement and evolving dynamics, make it my favorite track on the album. "Substance" takes a much more commercial and ballad-y turn, and is almost entirely an acoustic track with almost Pop / Rock arrangements with incredibly colorful and festive flourishes; definitely another favorite, and is indicative of the versatility this band is capable of.

"Gods of Dust" is somewhat of an oddity (but a goody!) here, and incorporates a diverse mixing, pure riff and melody mastery and a wide range of vocal styles, ranging from roars reminiscent of ICED EARTH's Stu Block, and falsettos that may even live up to his excellency, KING DIAMOND. A brutal, mini drum solo kicks off a massively up-tempo change in song direction that dominates the two minutes of the song, overlaid with sound samples of clashing swords. "The Place" may only be two and a half minutes, closer to a filler track, but is no doubt worth pointing out; Franck's huge vocal range is demonstrated in full, and this acoustic piece is full of wistful, airy melodies. "Heroikos" goes out with a bang with "Savage Princes" that is kept at a relatively pounding mid tempo riff, interlocked with gorgeous pull-off guitar licks reminiscent of ARCH ENEMY and ELVENKING. In fact, much of the song itself is an exquisite guitar solo; the twin axeman chug out an incredibly attack.

STONECAST manages to combine olden-days music of some of my favorite bands and modernize it with a fresh sound; it is heavy and melodious enough to qualify for an exemplary Metal band, but is catchy enough to fulfill the needs of listeners more tame.