Release date: 31 October, 2025

AQUILLA are a promising new band from Poland, mixing elements of the NWOBHM with traditional speed metal to forge their own brand of lethal outer space metal. The first incarnation of the band was formed in Warsaw in 2015. The current line-up of AQUILLA consists of Captain Paradox on vocals, Jaspar De Phaser on rhythm guitars, Kris Invader on lead guitars, Hippie Banzai on bass and Pete Slammer on drums. AQUILLA are very much inspired by movies such as »2001: Space Odyssey”, “Dune”, “Alien”, “Blade Runner” and “Interstellar”.

After a few singles and EPs, AQUILLA issued their long-awaited debut album “Mankind’s Odyssey” in 2022. This is now followed by their new effort “Sentinels Of New Dawn”, the first for High Roller Records. Drummer Peter Slammer explains: “It’s a huge step for AQUILLA in every way. Looking back, the production process of “Mankind’s Odyssey” was not well thought-out. We didn’t have a clear vision of the sound of the album, and we had no experience of such long and demanding recording sessions. In the end, we produced a good-sounding album, but we didn’t feel it was entirely the right direction for the band. The real change began once we started composing songs for “Sentinels Of New Dawn”. The new compositions were meant to lean a bit more towards old-school classics while being both forceful and epic.”

Regarding the lyrical concept, AQUILLA have invented their own universe: “We are all enthusiasts of both classic and modern sci-fi creations, and thus our music tells a story of mankind’s last remaining survivors who decide to settle on a distant planet called Yvad’déra. The previous album was where that concept was fully developed, and it is continued on this record. This time we have mad space pirates (‘Plunder And Steel’), crazy berserk-like mercenaries (‘Battalion 31’) and technological overlords (‘Technocrats’ Tyranny’). And everyone fights each other, just like in real life. “Sentinels Of New Dawn” and “Mankind’s Odyssey” are both pretty much concept albums. The lore itself isn’t that strict really, apart from the general concept of mankind on a distant planet, so it leaves a lot of room for imagination, creativity and open interpretations for the audience as well.”

LINE-UP
Captain Paradox – Vocals
Jaspar De Phaser – Rhythm Guitars
Kris Invader – Lead Guitars
Hippie Banzai – Bass
Pete Slammer – Drums

Review

“The Chronicles” was initially a mood-setting ambient track, complete with a damn Wilhelm scream, before some truly beautiful acoustic guitar started. An expository narration begins to tell the tale of the record just as the instruments start to come to crescendo, though while the guitars keep the melody and the drums 1-2 a bit to build the anticipation, before the track bleeds seamlessly into…

“Creed of Fire” kicked off with some sick shredding before we were introduced to the vocal talents of Captain Paradox, which I assume to be a stage name. If you heard last years We’re All Doomed from Metallus, one of my favorites of the year, then you’ll recognize his voice. If you haven’t, it has just the right amount of harmony and clarity behind it, combined with some occasional King Diamond-esque flourishes, both in the higher-pitched variety and in the KD growl. Instrumentally, this one never took a breath, and nor did it need to, it was no frills and just pure speed throughout the runtime. There’s a certain energy behind it that gave the song a sort of haste or panicked feeling, and I’m not sure if that was intentional or just me imagining the storyline in my head. One hell of a way to kick off the album!

Rightly enough, given the title, “Plunder & Steel” featured an opening riff that felt very much akin to Running Wild. Ole Captain Paradox showcased a bit more versatility and range in his vocals throughout this one, reaching some serious highs and bringing in some sick melodies. The chanted chorus by the band was such a huge part of this one being fun already, but about halfway through, before a nut-busting solo, Paradox hit a crazy high note (and did one verse in a way that reminded me of pirate metal). This is great, I love this.

Opening with some sizzling basslines and crashing drums, “Mountains of Black Sheep” didn’t waste time in cranking it up to eleven. The entire chorus portion was very later-era golden age Iron Maiden (Seventh Son and Somewhere in Time), complete with ‘oh-oh-ohs’ and the general hooky anthemic harmony. Pete Slammer’s drumming really stood out in this one, reminding me much of the talents of the late Clive Burr. Without warning, about 2/3 through the track, the song stops in its tracks for a slow and methodical portion with the bass taking a front seat and some acoustic guitars while Paradox sings the next verse. Even as the electricity returns, the track is completely different after that, with the drumming becoming heavy double-bass and the actual bass guitar seemingly being kicked up a notch. Then for the last twenty or so seconds, Aquilla decides to throw in some ‘ah-ah-ahs’ to bookend a great one. Seriously, this one was magic.

“Battalion 31” began with some ascendant guitarwork, accompanied nicely by some glorious basslines, before beginning an overall more paced track than those previous. The biggest stand-out here for me was by far the lyrics themselves, I was able to perfectly piece together a story in my head as the song played, which is always something I love to do. Hippie Banzai, which is his real name, is absolutely slaughtering it on bass with some truly rancid licks peppered throughout. With about a minute and 30 seconds left in the song, the mood shifted to an almost reflective one. It made me think of a solider who had survived a brutal battle, leaving few left alive, and reflecting at the carnage around them. This whole final stretch of song really takes ‘Battalion 31’ to another level.

“The Curse of Mercurion” began with Paradox delivering the opening verse as only he can, before completely changing his delivery to something that I can only describe as ‘death rattle-like’. It was somehow more brutal than any standard death growl heard in modern metal, and also completely understandable. Hats off dude, that was killer. Again, the bass and drums are shining through, and the introduction of some keys or synths sprinkled in the background on occasion was an amazing touch. Guitar wise, as I know I’ve somewhat neglected mentioning them of late, the riffs and solos are awesome don’t worry. In this track alone, we’ve got an interstellar (get it? because it’s a space themed album!) solo and I’ve yet to hear a repeated riff. This was yet another banger, that I’d only wished had gone on a little longer. Are we looking at an all-time album here?

Slammer and Banzai decided to grace us with a freaking wild drumroll and an even nastier bassline to begin,“Technocrats’ Tyranny”. Like the rest of the album so far, this was insanity all the way through. Just what you’d come to expect, it was perfection until the halfway point, when somehow Aquilla did better than perfect. The sequence starting at the 3 minute mark until the 3:17 mark was an incredible seventeen second section that foretold of the coming guitar solo, which again was furious. I was also reminded that ‘tyranny’ is a word that Americans pronounce differently than everyone else (we say ‘tear-anny’).

“Bound to be King” continued the prevalence of bass and drum proficiency, but with really tight and hooky main riff. This one leaned closer to outright heavy metal and less into the speed metal, though it was still fast-paced. Paradox’s vocals had a pronounced snarl with them in this one that set it apart even further from its album-mates. All told, this was probably the weakest track on the album in my personal opinion, though it was still a strong contender. Bonus points to Paradox’s scream at the end.

“The Prophet” clocked in at 9 minutes and 59 seconds, which makes it the longest song of Aquilla’s career by far. Opening with some ambience and isolated guitar (? it sounded like something else), Paradox delivers the opening verses with a wonderful bit of gravitas and a sense of wonder. It all helped to make the eventual crescendo feel well-earned and worth the wait. As it kicks into high gear, I noticed the riffing was highly technical and frenetic, which I found perfect for a double-sized track like this. That riffing wasn’t limited to the guitars either, as Banzai’s bass was giving 110% as well (as evidenced especially by the little break section about halfway through. Great stuff). For the final portion of the track after that break portion, everyone is ‘locked in’, as the kids say. With the drumming never once letting up, the solo being epic in scope and scale, the bass continuing to awaken demons, and of course Captain Paradox’s vocals ascending to an otherworldly plane. This was an epic track that did not disappoint in the slightest.

“Sentinel’s Fate” was our synth-heavy epilogue for the album, which automatically made it great in my book. Those synths soon change into some very somber sounding keys that again really brought a reflective tone to the overall album. Slammer’s drums hit throughout with a nice marching beat as the track fades out.

Conclusion

Well that was phenomenal. I was already a huge fan of Aquilla’s 2022 debut full-length Mankind’s Odyssey, but I believe they not only bettered themselves here but also set the bar for all trad metal albums in the latter fourth of 2025. Every piece came together in a way to tell a wonderful story, and I love the worlds they’ve forged on both albums so far, as well the openness to interpretation. When I first saw the album cover, I knew I couldn’t miss this one (the cover itself is a strong contender for my favorite album cover of the year), but the music to be just as good, if not better, than the cover was a treat. Do not miss this one, it’s an all-timer for the genre!

TheNwothm Score: 10/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://aquilla.bandcamp.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquilla.official/

Label: High Roller Records