It was almost 10 years ago (back in the days where people used to discuss Heavy Metal in a good way) that somebody brought this band up in the forum A Forja (also a small label that kickstarted Gatekeeper’s discography). Hailing from the numinous town of Kalambaka, in Greece, this band is one of the best kept secrets of the underground. Or if’s not really such a big secret anymore is for one specific reason, and one reason alone – the Internet tentacles hardly leaves any safe spot for secrets anymore. Thus, any Epic Metal fan should be familiar with the band already, though it is not a name that is being thrown around that much. At least when compared with bands that everyone seems to be into these days, like Legendry or Smoulder, for instance. Black Sword Thunder Attack (what an amazing name for a band – really!!!) operates on a whole different level. The mass appeal of this quartet is virtually inexistent, due to its occult nature – in the real sense of the word, not those Metal entrepeneurs trying to emulate the magical 70s (El Retrorado). The easiest way to talk about this EP is the well known cop-out of calling the band an acquired taste. And I guess that might be true, in terms of production, song-writing and vocals, mostly. But that expression means nothing in itself. Everything that bears any emotional value is an acquired taste. First and foremost, Heavy Metal is an acquired taste. And why the hell would we want it to be any other way?
Even before pressing play, the first impression is not good at all. A little over 16 minutes of music and really nothing groundbreakingly new, since all the songs were previously featured in earlier demos. As fate would have it, the songs are not exactly the same. That is the point of releasing a demo, after all. A kind of try-out before the real deal. And as soon as we approach this release with the right mindset there is only one possible outcome. This is a really special EP, the likes of which we seldom see nowadays. A bit hard to get into at first, if you are not accustomed to this particular style, but will soon creep into your brain leaving a foggy trail of melodies echoing from somewhere afar. Give it time to grow on you and you will be finally able to ever so slowly peel it out, layer by layer.
The experts claim the art of reviewing poses many dangers, such as mixing up reviews with opinions. Something that never happens in more credible publications. Thus the conclusion is this: better place your trust on a corporate review than on a review from some John Doe of a good for nothing blog. One other popular advice about reviews that I’ve heard over the years is to leave your personal tastes at the door. That is a very common misconception that I feel should be addressed right now. In my own personal opinion, fanaticism is the only way to look at art in general and Heavy Metal in particular that makes any sense. Also that fanaticism does not necessarily equals acceptance. It is exactly the opposite. Fanaticism demands greatness. The greater the level of fanaticism, the higher you set your standards on what you deem to be truly excellent.
Vox populi asserts that Black Sword Thunder Attack is merely a copy of Lordian Guard. And though there is some truth in the sense that it is beyond any shadow of doubt there is a clear Lordian Guard influence in Black Sword Thunder Attack, there is much more to it than it initially meets the eye. Besides, there are much more new bands photocopying Enforcer – as if Enforcer is the perfect example of a band with influences very hard to pinpoint. If you are not lazy enough to scratch the surface – you don’t even need to dig that deep – Black Sword Thunder Attack has a much more organic approach in terms of sound and, most important, works on a substantially singular echelon. Whereas Lordian Guard is much more religious (but still miles away from the frustrating proselytism of the absolute masterpiece that is Warlord’s «The Holy Empire») in its approach, Black Sword Thunder Attack comes from above and below, delving in a dimension of spirituality that is impossible to place in a self-contained box. In a way this is one of the reasons that completely separates this band from everybody else in Epic Metal – it is not battle mode, it is nightmare mode.
The production is perfect for this type of music, coming straight from the gloomy caves. And the reverb – by the Gods – is the ideal soundtrack for arcane incantations. The keyboard sounds are lo-fi for a reason and it is the first taste of what we get from this debut EP. The opening track «Don’t Hear The Sirens» lays it all out in the open. Weary keys to set the atmosphere, amazingly labyrinthine guitar work and a voice that comes straight from the depths. Maybe not as deep as Lordian Guard’s late Vidonne but still full of mystery. The way Mareike screams “Your sword” is bone-chilling. The first solo bears the Bill Tsamis’ trademark that only greeks seem to know how to incorporate in their own particular brand of Heavy Metal and the second one introduces some nuances the way (once again) only greeks can do – pure hellenic bliss. The riffs on «Evil Sorcery» are canonical to the bone and there is an underlining ophism in the way the keyboards are used. This is another aspect of this EP. The shroud of secrecy that envelops every instrumental melody and vocal line. The best chorus of the entire record is here. I am 100% sure the words “Evil Sorcery” will be scarred in your mind for months on end. The final track «March of The Dead» starts wonderfully with an incredible first part – what a beautiful simple guitar solo that spellbinds us every single time. Really tense and epic until it starts ripping and all hell breaks loose on the second part «Through The Fires of Hell», a fast rager (compared to the other tracks, naturally).Those guitars blasting from far and wide work wonders. And suddenly it all comes to a halt, leaving us desperately wanting for more. Which leads us to the logical foreseeable conclusion that Epic Metal does not need long songs – that is a colossal fallacy.
There are all sorts of bands in our hallowed realms. Black Sword Thunder Attack is definitely not the band to search for with ultra-tight musicianship or instrumental acrobatics. Though that is all relative, I have no qualms to admit there are countless bands with better chops and superior musicians. But in the long run, I’m not entirely convinced that is really that important when the unquestionable truth is as simple as this: not many bands can ever hope to carry (not even once) this essence of pure Heavy Metal mysticism. So where does that leave us? How do we approach this EP with objectivity? How do we explain something that appeals to us individually to the outside world by distancing ourselves from it? That’s simple – we don’t! We dive right into it, fearless and defiantly. If you are bored to death of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (it is a passive pseudo-tag with mostly uninteresting bands, sorry) or you get mad when self-proclaimed experts interpret Heavy Metal as some mathematic formula, «March Of The Damned» EP is the ultimate antidote. Exquisite, pure, unstained by formal conventions and free from all the traps of contemporary underground Heavy Metal. Black Sword Thunder Attack is what you find below the underground. On their way to become a legend, as soon as their debut album is released.
No! Let me rephrase that. If various somewhat ordinary bands from the 80s have now been granted with that legendary status with just an EP and/or a few demos based on the release date alone, why can’t Black Sword Thunder Attack be hailed as such? I firmly adhere to the credo that says a band only needs a tiny figment of geniality to reach the legend status. Obviously, more special bands have more of those moments. Actually, if you pay attention to that guitar melody opening «The Messenger» and the way it fuses with the thick bass you will understand. And you will be on the verge of tears a couple of moments later in the song when they recover that same melody along another sparkling solo and realized they have touched eternity already.
The experts claim the art of reviewing poses many dangers, such as mixing up reviews with opinions. Something that never happens in more credible publications. Thus the conclusion is this: better place your trust on a corporate review than on a review from some John Doe of a good for nothing blog. One other popular advice about reviews that I’ve heard over the years is to leave your personal tastes at the door. That is a very common misconception that I feel should be addressed right now. In my own personal opinion, fanaticism is the only way to look at art in general and Heavy Metal in particular that makes any sense. Also that fanaticism does not necessarily equals acceptance. It is exactly the opposite. Fanaticism demands greatness. The greater the level of fanaticism, the higher you set your standards on what you deem to be truly excellent.
Vox populi asserts that Black Sword Thunder Attack is merely a copy of Lordian Guard. And though there is some truth in the sense that it is beyond any shadow of doubt there is a clear Lordian Guard influence in Black Sword Thunder Attack, there is much more to it than it initially meets the eye. Besides, there are much more new bands photocopying Enforcer – as if Enforcer is the perfect example of a band with influences very hard to pinpoint. If you are not lazy enough to scratch the surface – you don’t even need to dig that deep – Black Sword Thunder Attack has a much more organic approach in terms of sound and, most important, works on a substantially singular echelon. Whereas Lordian Guard is much more religious (but still miles away from the frustrating proselytism of the absolute masterpiece that is Warlord’s «The Holy Empire») in its approach, Black Sword Thunder Attack comes from above and below, delving in a dimension of spirituality that is impossible to place in a self-contained box. In a way this is one of the reasons that completely separates this band from everybody else in Epic Metal – it is not battle mode, it is nightmare mode.
The production is perfect for this type of music, coming straight from the gloomy caves. And the reverb – by the Gods – is the ideal soundtrack for arcane incantations. The keyboard sounds are lo-fi for a reason and it is the first taste of what we get from this debut EP. The opening track «Don’t Hear The Sirens» lays it all out in the open. Weary keys to set the atmosphere, amazingly labyrinthine guitar work and a voice that comes straight from the depths. Maybe not as deep as Lordian Guard’s late Vidonne but still full of mystery. The way Mareike screams “Your sword” is bone-chilling. The first solo bears the Bill Tsamis’ trademark that only greeks seem to know how to incorporate in their own particular brand of Heavy Metal and the second one introduces some nuances the way (once again) only greeks can do – pure hellenic bliss. The riffs on «Evil Sorcery» are canonical to the bone and there is an underlining ophism in the way the keyboards are used. This is another aspect of this EP. The shroud of secrecy that envelops every instrumental melody and vocal line. The best chorus of the entire record is here. I am 100% sure the words “Evil Sorcery” will be scarred in your mind for months on end. The final track «March of The Dead» starts wonderfully with an incredible first part – what a beautiful simple guitar solo that spellbinds us every single time. Really tense and epic until it starts ripping and all hell breaks loose on the second part «Through The Fires of Hell», a fast rager (compared to the other tracks, naturally).Those guitars blasting from far and wide work wonders. And suddenly it all comes to a halt, leaving us desperately wanting for more. Which leads us to the logical foreseeable conclusion that Epic Metal does not need long songs – that is a colossal fallacy.
There are all sorts of bands in our hallowed realms. Black Sword Thunder Attack is definitely not the band to search for with ultra-tight musicianship or instrumental acrobatics. Though that is all relative, I have no qualms to admit there are countless bands with better chops and superior musicians. But in the long run, I’m not entirely convinced that is really that important when the unquestionable truth is as simple as this: not many bands can ever hope to carry (not even once) this essence of pure Heavy Metal mysticism. So where does that leave us? How do we approach this EP with objectivity? How do we explain something that appeals to us individually to the outside world by distancing ourselves from it? That’s simple – we don’t! We dive right into it, fearless and defiantly. If you are bored to death of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (it is a passive pseudo-tag with mostly uninteresting bands, sorry) or you get mad when self-proclaimed experts interpret Heavy Metal as some mathematic formula, «March Of The Damned» EP is the ultimate antidote. Exquisite, pure, unstained by formal conventions and free from all the traps of contemporary underground Heavy Metal. Black Sword Thunder Attack is what you find below the underground. On their way to become a legend, as soon as their debut album is released.
No! Let me rephrase that. If various somewhat ordinary bands from the 80s have now been granted with that legendary status with just an EP and/or a few demos based on the release date alone, why can’t Black Sword Thunder Attack be hailed as such? I firmly adhere to the credo that says a band only needs a tiny figment of geniality to reach the legend status. Obviously, more special bands have more of those moments. Actually, if you pay attention to that guitar melody opening «The Messenger» and the way it fuses with the thick bass you will understand. And you will be on the verge of tears a couple of moments later in the song when they recover that same melody along another sparkling solo and realized they have touched eternity already.