REVIEW: CENTURY “THE CONQUEST OF TIME” (SWEDEN)

The time has finally come for the debut album from CENTURY. Formed in 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden, the duo of Staffan Tengnér and Leo Ekström released the “Demo MMXX” the same year, taking the underground metal world by storm. “The Fighting Eagle” 7” single of 2022 was just a glimpse of what would follow. “The Conquest Of Time” is a flawless display of heavy metal craftsmanship; from bulldozer cuts like “Victims In Chains”, “Master Of Hell” and “The Fighting Eagle” to epics such as “Distant Mirror” and title track, CENTURY perfectly captures the unpretentiousness this music has been sorely missing. Everything from the self-produced and self-recorded music to the artwork, no stone was left unturned to ensure nothing but the highest quality and most passionate heavy metal there is today.
 

Written & performed by CENTURY. Recorded by Staffan Tengnér & Oscar Ulfheden. Mixed by Staffan Tengnér. Mastered by Jamie Elton. Artwork by Staffan Tengnér.

Recommended for fans of Gotham City, Heavy Load, Mindless Sinner, Riot!

No Remorse records

Century Info

Label: No Remorse Records
Release date: Out now!
Format: CD (note: Vinyl LP will be released by Electric Assault, No Remorse will have an exclusive coloured version)

Review

We kick of with The Fighting Eagle! Swooping through the skies hunting for its prey, this track is full of hunger and blood in its eyes. First of all, I love the production as it has that classic heavy metal feel, feeling raw and rough the edges. The song its self is rapid and energetic showing the band is pull of power and passion. But most notably is how the tearing little solo breaks through the mix is such an awesome way. A great start to the album!

Black Revenant tumbles in with pounding drums and some tasty riffs before skipping along at a mid tempo air punching pace. Considering the band is only made up of two musicians, Steffan and Leo the music shows how multi-talented they are. Another great little solo packs a punch before soon enough the the last minute of the song arrives. A slow moving riff appears that feels somewhat sad and lost in the dark winds of time. Excellent!

Now for the truly epic Sinister Star! I love those type of upbeat songs that make you feel like your on a big adventure. And this song is one of them, with quick picking guitar work, delicious riffs that will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside and a solo that will bring joy to your ears. Sinister Star is certainly not a force to be reckoned with! Steffan and Leo certainly know how to write killer tracks! One of my first highlights of the album! And certainly a track i can imaging being played live and getting a big reaction.

The pace does not slow down as we discover the next song Victim In Chains! Hammering along like the tracks before, I get the impression that the band are out to conquer with their heroic and enormous sounding ideas. The blend of hard hitting heavy metal with Steffan’s vocals are a perfect match and work perfectly together. The music sails along with big open chords letting the lyrics shine through and really stand out. Throw in one or two big metal screams and you have another little gem!

The Conquest Of Time charges forward like an army of warriors storming the battlefield. Get ready for some great opportunities to headbang and pound your fists in the air as this track provides plenty. The changes in tempos and monstrous metal riffs help to create an interesting and husky song that will easily please any listener. So far it is clear the band really know how to write solid well structured songs that will catch your attention. The Conquest of Time delivers on those fronts!

Master Of Hell continues by first of all introducing us to some nice tom work before changing gear and heading straight for some nimble riffing. Once again the band gives us another big helping of uptempo metal madness. This is one of those songs I could easily see as one being a favourite to mosh too. But one things for sure that seems to be consistent throughout this album is that they know how to write a great, screaming solo!

I love the intro of Distant Mirror, having some killer oldskool metal ideas that set up this track perfectly. And the rest continues with that warm, uplifting vibe in the guitar work. Like previous tracks it mostly comes at you with speed but there are some nice sections where it drops down to some slower speeds and changes the mood of the song completely. Like the section of bass bouncing along with rung out chords before gradually building back up to the solo. I could quite easily stand there tapping my foot and supping on a nice cold one to this brilliant track!

Breakthrough literally will smash down walls and not let anything get in its way with even more classic metal moments. At moments the drums skelter and roll around creating interest and slight intensity which I love. The song is ram packed and comes at you head on. And even though it is one of the shortest tracks it proves its worth!

Servants of The Iron Mask begins with haunting synth notes calling out in the vast darkness before we get more supercharged metal riffs to throw yourself around too. Quick picking is aplenty and you have plenty of opportunities to fist pump to your hearts content. The track is moody and menacing with a spicy solo that is toasted with some nice harmonies. A great song to finish of the album from a really promising band.

Conclusion

Steffan and Leo of Century have delivered a fantastic debut album that captures the true heavy metal spirit. If you want an album that has speed, ripping solos that would awaken the gods and riffs that would catch fire then you need to listen to “The Conquest of Time.” You will not be disappointed!

THE NWOTHM SCORE: 7.5/10

Bandcamp: https://centuryswe.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centuryswe

#Centurysweden #Noremorserecords