Twilight of the Gods – Twilight of the Gods (2013)
This. Is. Heavy. Metal. And it’s fucking glorious. A supergroup of sorts, Twilight of the Gods features Alan Averill (Primordial), Nick Barker (ex Cradle Of Filth/ Dimmu Borgia), Rune Eriksen (Aura Noir) and Frode Glesner (Einherjer), and started life as a Bathory tribute band. That legacy is here throughout – those landscapes of riffs and steel which Bathory do so well define this record – as are the crushing energy of early Manowar, Maiden and the majestic power of Candlemass in what amounts to a celebration of all that makes Metal good. Opener ‘Destiny Forged In Blood’ is a swirl of powerchords and gallops, with Averill’s Dio/Dickinson vocal berating us all to ‘write your name in blood’ for metal – if it sounds corny, you’ll never get the joy of this record. In truth, this emotive stuff – raw without being cheesy, it goes straight to the heart of what makes our genre bubble and tick. The gothic horror of ‘Children Of Cain’ contrasts militia rhythms and razor riffs with ethereal lyrics drawn from folklore; whilst the sheer stomp of ‘Fire On The Mountain’ will nourish your inner teenage Viking and practically command you to headbang – it’s easily the most metal thing I’ve heard this year, until I head ‘Sword Of Damocles’, which conjures visions of ten thousands devil horns in the air.
What makes it so infectious? The dynamics: effortless cool component parts are held together in perfect balance, meaning that this album never slips into the sin of becoming melodramatic nostalgia produced by so many spotty pretenders. A beautiful, inspiring slab of Heavy Metal.