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SOLITARY SABRED
Temple Of The Serpent

Vinyl Store (2023)
Rating: 9/10

Armed with swords and clad in monster-proof armour, Cypriot clan Solitary Sabred embarks upon its fourth journey into a land dripping with mysticism and riddled with strange creatures and deceitful foes.

This is as epic and as swashbuckling as it gets in regards to heavy metal; think Virgin Steele, Manowar, Iced Earth, Sanctuary et al but crossed with some ancient bible of intrepid exploration through blood-foamed waters and humid landscapes littered with pitfalls and magic. Sword n’ sorcery metal then rich in imagery as vocalist Petros “Asgardlord” Leptos leads us down dimly lit corridors with a commanding voice that echoes through rugged chambers. Behind him, Demetris “Spartacus” Demetriou and Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis hold axes aloft to ward off any evil presence as they make their way – with confident strides – to the great court of the sinister hierarchy, no doubt guarded by some foul manifestation or two. The bass of George “Stainlesz” Papaioannou provides a steely, protective field so that the charging drums of Fotis “Defiler” Mountouris can act as a spellbinding chant to hypnotise the enemy.

Solitary Sabred, even while treading new ground, are able to first and foremost construct their own mighty kingdom, a safe place for us metalheads to reside and wait for their return with tales aplenty. Such yarns come in the form of the potent ‘Spectral Domain’ with its fizzing riffs and the juicy storytelling of Leptos who enchants us regarding “a curse from the shadows” and “survival horror”. His yaps and chops bristle with the same energy and majestic glory I experienced back in the 80s upon first hearing a band like the aforementioned Virgin Steele alongside Jag Panzer and Attacker.

With ‘The Skeleton King’ one is drenched by the Gothic horror nuances of King Diamond, especially with the high vocals, but the way this outing shifts between epic power metal and more traditional values is such a smooth and immersive experience. So many albums, or bands for that matter, of this ilk can sound too clinical or forced, but Solitary Sabred make you feel as if you’re right there with them on those shores, within the shadows of the jagged mountains. “Behold the blade in frost it mourns, gripping death reaping souls” Leptos snarls to a back drop of lethal, skidding axe work on the monstrous ‘Bound By The Lich’. “Runes carved in necromantic speak, reanimate the armies for the Lich” he continues, as again we are faced with a fierce combination of King Diamond and Sanctuary. Find me a more heavy metal song this year and I will reward you with my rare VHS copy of Jason And The Argonauts!

Elsewhere, ‘Lord Of Ganzer’, ‘Reaper Of Kur’ – with its doomy trudges – and the speedy ‘The Undead Cry For Vengeance’ crackle and spit like a roaring fire that keeps the giant black wolves from encroaching. This is the sort of descriptive and blazing soundtrack that would have altered the course of my life as a kid back in the 80s and I sincerely hope that this album has the same effect on some unsuspecting teenager today. If you want metal, Solitary Sabred have got it.

Neil Arnold

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