Ελληνικά
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
Country: Portugal
Label: No Remorse Records
Year: 2025
In the first week of October, along with the first rains in Greece, the long-awaited release of Dolmen Gate made its appearance in well-stocked and up-to-date record stores, through No Remorse Records. “Echoes of Ancient Tales” is the second complete work by the Portuguese epic metallers, with a clear orientation and direction. They proved this with their debut album, which was well received and critically acclaimed, and they returned with the intention of confirming that they did not “dive” into the world of epic metal by chance, but for glory rather than fame. Fans who respect the space they belong to and represent were “made” to take center stage and leave their mark in an era where sound is sought after more than anything else.
With the album recorded in three months in early 2025 in their native country and completed last May, they aspire to gain more ground in the hot metal battles and attract new fans thirsty for quality music with Ana’s distinctive voice. “Steel” is raging in the market and new fans are thirsty for quality music. The themes of history, ancient civilizations (see “Carthage Eternal”) and the emotion in the “narratives” through the lyrics seem to have been further enhanced in their new work, “growing” our admiration. And if this lyricism seems familiar to someone who listens to the album, the band will prove them wrong with the grandeur of the compositions that overflow, creating a relentless repetition of performances for the listener. With “The Maze” kicking things off in September, they gave their audience a preview of what was to come. Intensity, journey, melody, and solidity. Four magical ingredients that, when mixed together, combined their love for Maiden and the epic metal of the early days, presenting a follow-up worthy of their debut album, “Gateways of Eternity.”
Undoubtedly, the album “claims” high positions in the category of albums of the year, let alone in that of epic heavy metal, because in an era where norms are often based on modernism and experimentation, they choose a sound forged in the fires of tradition in a more straightforward and honest way. With clearly improved production, where the vocals stand out and the instruments have weight and clarity, the Portuguese achieve epicness, narrative, musical changes, and atmosphere. For old school/underground epic heavy metal fans, it is definitely a must-have. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the audience will understand its significance by dedicating 43 minutes of their lives to listening to memories of ancient stories. Europe needs epic metal bands like the Iberians, and we are with them in every battle with everything we have heard so far. Hail to the underground!
