Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 09:12 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
Label: Cruz Del Sur
Country: Greece
Year: 2018
There are bands and subgenres that live and prosper behind the invisible veil of the manipulating trends and distorted true and cult banners. The scene inspires of hooliganism and a negative kind of passion, which makes it impossible to grow musically and ideologically when it comes to the bands, but the audience as well. That’s why every time creations like “Codex Epicus” rise from the abyss, the few that silently look for the small spark to explode, actually set up big parties.
The Athenians break the silence that was on hold after the successful comeback – experiment “Blood of Legends”, by breaking the wall of patience and flooding our emotions with sounds that wake our most basic metal instincts.
They didn’t act too fast (and good for them) to reply. They patiently waited until the winds of inspiration were strong again, so that they would be able to sail in the foggy and dangerous waters that we call epic metal. Many are afraid to wander in these seas, when they know how many other tries were shattered at edgy rocks. Exactly where others don’t dare, the captains in Battleroar, knowing the paths and the traps like the back of their hands, travel with certainty and reach their destination once more.
“Codex Epicus” is made of a heavy breed. Its sound is very heavy. A dim sound for the uneducated, an archangelic psalm for the purists of the genre. The original soundscape of Battleroar with glorious themes and the manly structure of the compositions. Thesmartchangesin rhythm and the steel melodies. The huge volume and gloominess of the instruments, with the guitars bringing doom and throwing one titan riff after the other, painting the compositions with excellent solos, without wasting a second on meaningless parts. The hammering drums and the perfect bass lines are side by side with an authentic voice that shouts the lyrics in a convincing way. A mix of dark, nostalgic, mourning and war-like feelings in notes. The result looks solid and important to a point that you can see the vision and the merit of the musicians. The aforementioned main compositional motifs stay unchanged with the only difference being a more intense melody and improv attitude without getting out of hand.
The many changes in the lineup of the band these years and the numerous difficulties they have faced, have not discouraged the mainman of Battleroar, Kostas Tzortzis. As the years passed, the feelings and the wonders that bombarded the mind that created the content of “Codex Epicus” here find their salvation. Experienceopenspathstoamoreopenapproach to the epic touch of the music and harmonizes perfectly with the respect and the upbringing of the sound as a main guide. The intimidating soundtrack-like introduction of “Awakening the Muse” opens the way, more than any other time, for the doom-ish atmosphere that describes the material of the new offering of the band.Theviolin, thathadbeen completely assimilated to their style, makes its absent strong. Hopefully, it is replaced by amazing operatic and orchestral parts with a highlight being the traditional clarinet from Epirus in the introduction of “Enchanting Threnody”, where we also hear the voice of Euthimis Karadimas of Nightfall and Slayerking. The point that really breaks you though is in “Sword of Flame”. Theheaviestpartofthealbum,works like a shout out to a unique man, one of the fathers of our music, Mark Shelton, whose amazing performance and the mystic, full of emotion solo, will always haunt the record.The second participation of the leader in an album by the Athenians after “Age of Chaos” and the epic “The Wanderer”. The flow of the record moves nicely and without much perturbation in quality, giving out a lot of feelings and well defined exaggerations. It is better than the previous one and “Codex Epicus” is the best release of the genre during the current year.
Based on the pure character of their music combined with the traditional metal ideals and the teachings of Manilla Road, the Athenians have managed to leave their mark in a scene that doesn’t forgive mediocrities. This might be their biggest achievement on its own.
5,5 / 6
