Battlelore – Doombound (2011)

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Like a fine wine, Battlelore has been graciously aging with time and with “Doombound” they achieve a very solid release and refinement of their signature Epic Metal sound. As one of the most awaited releases of 2011, “Doombound” has everything a fan of the genre needs: brilliant female and male vocals, epic melodies with elaborate arrangements, and powerful guitar riffing.

While not terribly revolutionary, Battlelore has been refining their style with every album they have produced and with “Doombound” they are close to achieving. As a concept album “Doombound” takes the listeners into a magical fantasy journey, something that the band has made part of their concept (and live show) since their conception and it’s one of their best traits.

With a very Battlelore-esque vocal attack, the band kicks-off the album with “Bloodstained”, a song that sets the pace for the whole album. In “Iron of Death” the band moves into ‘faster’ territories with massive drumming and powerful guitars, only to continue with the battle hymn “Bow and Helm”. In this song we get one of our favorite female vocal arrangements around the second minute mark, showcasing Kaisas undeniable vocal abilities.

Our favorite song of the album has to be “Enchanted” due to the whole melancholic feeling to it, this really sets this song apart from the rest. From this song is where you start realizing that there are quite more male clean vocal sections than in the band’s previous albums, this adds an extra element to the band’s music and makes it sound better than ever. From the remaining tracks we have to outline “Kärmessurma”, the band’s first song entirely in Finish, and the album title track as the standouts.

Some people might say that the band is stuck in a particular style and is not growing musically, but we have to disagree since their sound is getting more cohesive and sounds better with every release. And while there are not ‘new things’, “Doombound” is a very solid album that will please fans of the band and will surely get them more new fans. As a side note, celebrating the 10 year anniversary the band is releasing a digipack version with a DVD featuring a few live shows (including the one we reviewed here!!), video clips, and countless photos.

Band: Battlelore Album: Doombound
Label: Napalm Records

Release: February 8th, 2011 (USA)

Official Site myspace
Genre: Epic Metal

Country: Finland

Rating: 87/100
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