Tabernacle, a trio of musicians from the United Arab Emirites, have come forth with an album that, upon first listen, really challenged me. At first, I didn't like the obscure tones presented within the album. It's definitely not something that's super accessible to the average listener. It's reminds me more of power metal or fantasy metal. A lot of the songs on this LP are about facing challenges. The sounds was something I didn't expect going in and, like I say, upon first listen I wasn't entirely sold on the way the record sounds, nor was I sold on the themes presented within the album. However, as I listened to the album a few different times, I started to get it; the themes and messages starting unfolding before my eyes, and I had an 'ah ha' moment.

The band is lead by Rayner Fernandes on guitars and vocals, along with Jasper Joseph Thadamalla on bass and Shawn Sunil on drums. From the opening track, an acoustic guitar laden song titled "Treasure Voyages" we get introduced to an epic, fantasy sounding album. With layered drums in the background, and the sound of synths accompanying the acoustic guitar, it builds an atmosphere around the album. Next we go into "Hannibal's Crossing" which is a standout track for me on the record. It begins with blistering guitar riffs and a very interesting rhythm before going into the vocals of Rayner which are super powerful in this song. On the back end of the track is a guitar solo that adds even another element yet to this masterfully well done song. The fourth song of the album, "The Curse of Akkad" opens with the sounds of a violin being played, leading into a heavy rhythm riff which punctures through the ears of the listener. The bass tones here are astronomical and the drumming is also great. The musicianship for this band is extremely stellar. As this song plays, I envision a forest shrouded in fog, like something from a fantasy movie. The instrumentation and the lyrics paint such a clear picture of what the band is trying to convey. Finally, the album concludes with "These Crying Seas" which builds upon the rest of the album in a spectacular way. This was a standout on The Iron Tabernacle for me. This is another song that reminds me of armies going into battle and clashing with one another. The riffs here are amazing, as is the drumming especially on the back end of the track.

I'd say there's a bunch of different subgenera of metal here, but the most prominent one is epic metal. It very much so reminds me of fantasy, or something that atmospheric black metal bands would craft. But there's also a touch of progressive metal in here as well. The musicianship in this band is something to behold. The instrumentation and vocals meld together to create something extremely special for the listener.