Release date: 31 May, 2025
The third release by Invictus, Burst The Curse, is a six-track EP that showcases original compositions in its first half, blending speed metal, ballad, and classic heavy metal. The second half features a cover and two live recordings that highlight both strengths and hesitations. This is a reissue, as the original was released in 2019 with the first three tracks, now supplemented by three new additions.
Review
Burst The Curse: The EP opens at high speed with a clear speed metal orientation, driven by inspired riffs and direct vocal phrasing in mostly mid-range tones, accompanied by choruses that reinforce the lyrics. The use of falsettos is well-controlled. However, the sudden appearance of a clean guitar section is puzzling—not a mistake in itself, but within the 2:39 runtime, it creates an abrupt drop in intensity that feels out of place in a full listen. Fortunately, the track recovers in its final measures with a fast solo and a powerful scream, well executed with vibrato and projection, showcasing vocal skill.
Gaia takes the second slot on the EP and disrupts the overall pace. It’s not a bad power ballad, but it lacks the grandeur and theatricality of beloved ’80s bands like Helloween, Judas Priest, or Whitesnake. The vocal line fluctuates between mid and high tones without standing out, and the expected emotional climax with powerful chords and exaggerated solos never arrives. In an album with a clearly heavy metal focus, placing a ballad this early feels misguided. While there’s certainly room for drama, its placement would have been better toward the end or as a bonus track.
Someone Out There picks up the momentum again with a strong opening. Its classic riff is built on alternate picking, fast legatos, and long chords embellished with pedal tones. However, the mix quality drops significantly. Despite a solid lead guitar performance—featuring fast blues-style scales and expressive twin-note lines in the chorus—the final result feels more like a demo than a finished recording, reducing the overall consistency of the EP.
London Leatherboy, a cover of Accept, kicks off the second half. The guitars are heavier than in the original version, with a slight glam touch in some parts. The mix here has more depth, reverb, and technique, resulting in a convincing rendition: Invictus achieves a retro sound without falling into over-modernization. The vocal performance also stands out, rising above the previous tracks.
Through the Storm (live), taken from their previous album Eden, opens with tribal drumming and distorted bass lines, which sound a bit dull compared to the original. As a live take, its rawness and lack of polish are welcome, offering a close-to-the-stage experience. Here, the inclusion of a clean guitar section works much better than in “Burst The Curse”, blending naturally into the longer structure (over four minutes) and a martial rhythm that evokes pagan metal. The chorus once again stands out with power.
Burst The Curse (live) closes the EP with a live version recorded—like the previous track—at Schlichtenfest 2022. The drummer shines here, especially with the use of double bass and rhythmic changes. The choruses sound livelier, and despite a few minor feedback issues, the track holds up to the studio version. The ending is slightly extended, including crowd greetings and adding a celebratory vibe.
Conclusion
It’s a release that highlights the band’s progress leading up to their first full-length album, Eden, in 2020. It shows this because the 2019 reissue captures a band still in formation, lacking standout technique and featuring mediocre production. Invictus clearly has muscle, and bears strong similarities to Hammerfall, the French band Sortilège, and Holland’s Martyr: a brand of heavy metal full of hooks and sonic power. The live versions and the Accept cover reveal a craft and spirit that are well worth keeping an eye on.
As an additional note: The Eden album is a much better accomplished work than this EP, from the production—with a clear and robust sound—to the composition, with well-thought-out and better executed tracks. The invitation is to consider this work as an earlier recording of the band, an album for collectors, or as a piece that shows the musicians’ evolution.
TheNwothm Score: 5.5/10
Links
Bandcamp:https://invictusheavymetal.bandcamp.com/
The Nwothm 
Leave a comment