Black Reign - Sovereign

 

Track 1 "eye of the storm" starts off quite well, not wasting any time - straight into it. It’s hard to say which genre these guys are but thrash seems to be the closest guess - the first track has slayer written all over. It is a very nice track with a cool double lead. Track 2 "the king of demons" starts with a dual harmony riff and thundering toms before it gets into a slower tempo and converting into another "slayer type" song - these guys seem heavily influenced by the thrash kings without losing their own identity. The vocals are pretty cool and the track rolls smoothly. Track 3 "sacrifice of the gods" starts immediately with screaming vocals backed by some fantastic riffage and drum work plus the dual guitar work on this track is old style metal. Track 4 "sovereign", the title track, starts with awesome orchestral tones and changes into a cool riff before going surprisingly all acoustic. Halfway through the song, it becomes a little heavier and faster. Track 5 "viking" starts with the rowing of oars in the water and a huge horn before working into a thrashy song with a bit heavier chorus. Track 6 "the 3rd antichrist" starts with an offbeat riff and moves into a mid tempo song. There is a solo popped in. Track 7 "edge of the universe" is a bit too long for my taste – anything above 5 minutes is a waste. The song has very good acoustic work though and despite the length it’s still a great track. Track 8 "demise" sounds like a warzone at the beginning. It changes into another offbeat tempo riff which could do better with a more modern feel. Track 9 "the madness" starts at a muddling speed which is different from the other tracks. It’s another track which is too long for me but still has progressive riffs, nice drum play and great which makes the song worth listening. Track 10 "succubus" starts with an awesome riff. The tempo and another solo make the song great. Track 11 "the summonance/the occultance" is a worthy song to finish. Black Reign plays some chaotic guitar work and drumming before moving to a mid tempo with the strongest vocals of the album. Besides the time length of some tracks this is a good album. It might take a few listens to get used to it though.

 

-- Scott Maxwell Wells