Signum Regis
Beyond Spacetime
Label: Fireflash Records / Edel
Out: 9th October 2026
Playing time: 51:08
Three years have passed since Signum Regis from Bratislava (Slovakia) released their most recent studio album to date, ‘Undivided’. Last year saw the release of the remastered version of their second album, ‘The Eyes of Power’ (2010). In 2024, I had the opportunity to interview the band’s founder, Ronnie König. In October, fans can look forward to new material with ‘Beyond Spacetime’. Whilst the rhythm section has remained unchanged since ‘Undivided’, there has been a change on vocals. The new singer is now Mayo Petranin. But no, he isn’t actually that new – he was already on vocals between 2014 and 2018. Other well-known names can also be heard on the album, such as Jota Fortinho (Signum Regis 2019–2025), Ripper Owens (formerly of Judas Priest), Matt Smith (Theocracy), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) and Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell), amongst many others.
On ‘Time To Pay’, Signum Regis seem intent on setting new speed records. Drummer Jaro Jančula and guitarist Filip Koluš drive their bandmates forward relentlessly. ‘Back To Zero’ is a little calmer and very rhythmic, but no less powerful. The chorus is very melodic. On ‘Free Again’, the Slovaks pick up the pace again thanks to the powerful drumming. Once more, there’s a catchy chorus. ‘Throne Of Gold’ is introduced by Ronnie König and his bass playing. This calm and catchy song is characterised by expressive vocals. The brilliant guitar solo is played by none other than Victor Smolski (Almanac, ex-Rage). ‘Midnight Train’ follows as a beautifully thoughtful ballad. Strings and acoustic guitars accompany the singer. But the title track ‘Beyond Spacetime’ brings this contemplative phase to an end. ‘Into The Rabbit Hole” is introduced by some industrial sounds. These can also be heard later on, and the vocals are occasionally distorted. But by the chorus at the latest, it becomes melodic and fans are encouraged to sing along. Blistering guitar riffs introduce ‘Echoes Of Glory’. This develops into a rhythmic track. The vocals sound slightly raspy at times. ‘Demon Lord’ takes us back into high-speed territory. The fast, high-pitched riffs come across as a little frantic. Then the drums kick in, accompanied by a bass line beneath funky guitar sounds. Before a gentle vocal part kicks in, accompanied by the bass. ‘Waterfall’ is yet another ballad to make it onto the album. Here, too, the instrumentation is largely quite minimalist. It’s only towards the end that it becomes a little more powerful. Synths, fast guitar riffs and heavy drums kick off ‘Morning Dawn’. Then the guitar riff and frantic drums set a fast pace, accompanied by high-pitched metal screams. Despite a few anthemic passages, the song has a strong thrash metal edge. The album concludes with a dose of speed metal in the form of ‘A Dream Or Two’.
Eight (!) different singers feature on ‘Beyond Spacetime’. This enormous effort can probably be explained by the fact that Signum Regis will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next year and want to get their fans in the mood for it in advance. Their eighth studio album ‘already feels like a sort of ‘best-of’ journey through their past, present and future’, as stated in the press release. Alongside the outstanding vocals, the multifaceted songwriting is particularly noteworthy. And Miro Kiiski (Beast in Black, Hypocrisy, amongst others) ensures a crystal-clear sound with his mastering.
Signum Regis – Echoes Of Glory: https://youtu.be/RUnLg5vd-4M?si=Bd4wh28MNv2CIetk
Lineup:
Mayo Petranin – Vocals
Filip Koluš – Guitar
Ronnie König – Bass
Ján Tupý – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Jaro Jančula – Drums
Track list:
- Time To Pay
- Back To Zero
- Free Again
- Throne Of Gold
- Midnight Train
- Beyond Spacetime
- Into The Rabbit Hole
- Echoes Of Glory
- Demon Lord
- Waterfall
- Morning Dawn
- A Dream Or Two
Overall
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Album - 8/10
8/10
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Cover-Art - 9/10
9/10
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Songwriting - 9/10
9/10
