MEGATON SWORD is a band from the mythic land of Niralet. They’re enigmatic about their origins, keeping with the mystique that they’re from a place out of time. And with their latest EP, they’re releasing five songs that bring listeners into their magic land. Is it magical? Let’s find out.
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Vulva of the Night” starts with some nice melodies going into an anthemic, melodic beat that reminds me of Black Metal’s predecessors. The echoing vocals are an interesting choice. However, I wish they would have picked one: either melodic, clear vocals, or gravelly, screechy vocals. I enjoy the song when it picks up for the guitar solo, but other than that, it sticks closely to one riff without much variety.
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Pristine War” comes on with much more energy: clanking bass and machine gun guitars. I like the vocals better here; they remind me a little of earlier Metal artists. I also love the varied technique in the verses versus the chorus. It’s also more of a battle song than the last one, despite the first track having more of a march-like sound. The guitar solo echoes and reverberates, but I adore the harmonies between the high-pitched melody and the janky harmonies propping it up. So far, it’s my favorite off the album.
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Born Beneath the Sword” leads into some staccato riffs that later gallop throughout the intro. The drums pop, adding an extra oomph. The melody and vocals remind me of a
BLACK SABBATH song. The pounding riff in the second verse is also noteworthy; it’s punchy and gives the song more strength. The guitar solo is nice, and while the vocal narration is a little hokey, it adds some campy enjoyability to the song.
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For Glory” is full of fantastic imagery and a soaring melody that makes you feel like you’re flying through this song on a dragon. The machine gun elements in the first solo are also a nice touch and as I’ve covered with the other songs, the high-pitched guitars in the second solo are a hallmark of the ‘80s sound. It’s a good song, making you feel like you’re going to punch through dungeons and ride dragons ‘80s-style through the song.
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Realms to Conquer” starts off with some nice organ ambiance mixed in with a guitar melody. It then goes into an ominous bass line before crashing into the slow, anthemic intro. Here, the vocalist is at his clearest. The rolling drums throughout, a staple on this EP, are well-placed. The narration in the solo is interesting; drum rolls an ambiance boost it up before it goes into a rolling guitar solo. Also, the more structured melody keeps with the marching beat, but adds variety. It’s a good closer that hammers the thematic elements, instrumentally and lyrically.
Overall, it’s punchy, good music. The production value sounds like an earlier Thrash or Black Metal tape: like it was produced in a garage and passed around on a tape a hundred times before it got to your door. I can see this being a part of the appeal, especially for nostalgic, older Metal fans. Newer fans may find the sound interesting, albeit unclean. While it sounds like a throwback, it’s still a solid work that will take you back.
Songwriting: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 10
Memorability: 8