Torian – God Of Storms
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
A small independent label sets out to offer small bands distribution opportunities for their albums. Ram It Down Records from Hamburg specializes in Hard Rock, Heavy and Power Metal. According to the website of the label are currently obviously two bands under contract. One of these is Torian from Paderborn. And this band exists much longer than the label. The Power Metaler were founded back in 2002. So far three albums and one EP have been released. In November, “God Of Storms” will be released, produced by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan). The ten songs mostly written by guitarist Carl Delius. One day after the release, the big release party will take place, together with their label mates of Dystopolis, in the traditional Hamburg club Indra.
“God of Storms” is a typical “Old-Scholl” Power Metal album. With bombast, banging guitars, double-bass attacks and an outstanding singer who gives the songs a very special magic. Already at the opener “Old Friend Failure” the musicians fire the riffs almost every second. Epic chorus passages and great hooklines completes the song. “Evil vs. Evil” really sounds like a diabolical duel. The drumming game whips the band forward, supported by fast, filigree guitar solos. And singer Marc Hohlweck can easily keep up with this tempo. A speed rocker par excellence. No, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” is not a Hammerfall cover. The song is an original composition, which randomly carries only more or few that name. He gets by with less pathos than the song of the same name from the Sweden. The title is supposed to symbolize the history of the band, perseverance, passion and enthusiasm are a hallmark of the band since its foundation. Outstanding is the great metal anthem “Saint Of The Fallen”. In “Blackened Souls” Torian rock straight forward powerfully and without frills. Another face-off tip is the mid-tempo rocker “Stonehearted nation”. Epic choruses, a lot of melody and rhythmic riffs characterize this song. After another Speedkiller (“Thousand Storms”) the album ends with the epic masterpiece. “The Glorious Downfall” could come with its Manowar memory riffs from the early phase of the Kings of Metal. The high voice of the singer, the guitar solos and the epic choral passages underline this clearly. The longest song of the album with almost nine minutes is also the most varied and musically mature composition. For me this is the absolute highlight of “God Of Storms”.
I’m not so often come into raptures as in writing this review. The musicians from Paderborn managed to hit my nerve. Surely, they have not reinvented the genre of power metal. But they have produced an album that is musically at a high level. “Well over half of the songs of ‘God Of Storms’ are already live-rehearsed,” says guitarist Carl Delius. That clearly shows them too. In a few days I will be able to convince myself of the live qualities of the band.
TORIAN – Far From Midian Sky (official audio): https://youtu.be/hQPFWfMs9uo
Lineup
Marc Hohlweck – Vocals
Carl Delius – Guitars
Alexander Thielmann – Guitars
Bengt Kunze – Bass
Manuel Gonstalla – Drums
Label: Ram It Down Records
Out: November 23rd 2018
Playing time: 49:31
Track list:
- Old Friend Failure
- Evil vs. Evil
- Far From Midian Sky
- Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
- Saint Of The Fallen
- Crimson Born
- Blackened Souls
- Stonehearted Nation
- Thousand Storms
- The Glorious Downfall
Rating : 9/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
