Review: Solitary Sabred - "The Return Of Heroes, Monsters And Myths"

Release date: Out Now!

Label: Alone Records

5–8 minutes

The Nwothm

The band return with a release that aims to showcase their identity, their craft and their commitment to heavy metal storytelling. It’s a project built to highlight their strengths as performers, writers and world‑builders, presenting listeners with a clear sense of who they are and what they stand for. Across the record they channel their trademark intensity, character and ambition, inviting both long‑time followers and new listeners to step into their realm as the journey unfolds. So get ready for “The Return Of Heroes, Monsters and Myths!

Review

Slayer’s Oath kicks of the the album huge open chords and rolling tom fills before digging into an edgy chord sequence. It is simple in approach yet driving but things soon take a turn with the riffs hit. The vocals jump in full of attitude and menace. You get this feeling that the band are out for business! There are even some high pitch squeals and group chants to add something extra to the song. I was highly entertained by the strange vocals lurking in teh background that sounded like monsters and weird creatures. Soon enough we land on a simple solo section which has some tapping and a small scale but does’t give much beyond that. The song revisits ideas that came earlier in the song before hitting another solo section. Again it is short but more interesting and is backed by a colossal dark and deep choir in the background.

A Necromancer’s Plight isn’t very long but feels more like lingering thoughts. It opens with a demonic vocal line of “Arise from your graves my minions, grant me dominion” before drifting into a straightforward acoustic guitar section. Nothing too memorable.

Dominion feels like your cautiously moving through a dark underground layer. The slow moving riffs are eerie and set the tone. However things soon explode with some thunderous double kick and guitar work. The song certainly feels more adventurous then Slayers’ Oath with loads of tempo changes and shifts in intensity. You have the ball breaking vocal squealing, the punishing riffs on the verses and the earth shaking bass riffs that would knock you of your feet. Not too mention drum fills and barrages that would shatter your ribcage. Considering this is the first time listening to the band, I get the impression that their live shows are quite a spectacle.

Hammers Of Ulric feels like a grand entrance for a god or king. The layers of chords, lead riff and background towering vocal chants really set the scene. This doesn’t last long as we jump on to the metal wagon with locked in riffs that chug and drive the song forward. Petros continues to bring listeners a vocal delivery full of character and dramatics. Every moment he switches from really pushing hard, adding weight into his words before letting of a metal scream in the right places. Soon enough the we get quick picked riffs which fly on a double kick storm. It drops down to a slow trudge where you feel your dragging the world on your shoulders, before the song introduces some out of this world tapping. Before long we here repetitions of what cam before before our ears are bashed with shouts of rise and cymbal smashes.

Anvil of Crom drops listeners into a scene taken right from a fantasy film. Imagine being on top of a snowy mountain, where the wind deeply howls the sword smith is working hard in the background. All while you watch down over the armies below. The sounds of pounding drums act as a backdrop to a story where Conan is mentioned. The lone lead guitar comes in briefly adding a touch of heroics. All before fading out to return to the sound of steel being hammered.

Avengers Of Set explodes with a little scaling section before jumping straight into some meaty heavy metal. It follows 4./4 ideas switching things ip between simple patterns to more thrashy ideas and rolling kicks. Theres some slow moments where big chords roar and you get a big metal scream. They drop it down to acoustics and a softer vocal delivery to change the mood for a moment. But soon enough you get an evil harmony flying along on double kicks. The song has great ideas and moments where some riffs will suck you in. Even some spoken ideas briefly and some spicy metal screams, especially later.

Next up is a track is named after the band. The opening moments of Solitary Sabred feel edgy and in your face with stomps and a repeating guitar phrase. It then transitions into mid tempo verse with some quick picking guitars that feel somewhat classic. There is certainly a huge Iced Earth influencer here especially on how some of the vocal lines are delivered. Locked with the music and punching throws hard. Around half way it sticks to some safe rhythm work before launching into a flurry of ideas. The lead solo work relies on sticking to some repeating harmonies before return back to ideas we heard earlier on in the song. The ancient old feeling end section is interesting and fits in line with the song. I must I admit I love the Iced Earth ideas but still teh band could be a bit more adventurous in other areas.

The Trojan Hero slows things right down putting a focus more on the weight of the song with its trudging riffs. Imagine trying to drag yourself through quick sand and that is this song. There are moments where riffs feel sleepy as if your waking up from a long slumber. But then it also as moments where it has more character and dramatics to the song especially in the later half where the pace picks up. If you like headbanging there are certainly moments where you will be able to do this, especially as intensity picks up. The solo section is definitely one of the more fiery on the album and more interesting then some that have come before. The shouts of hey are a nice addition but my highlight is the harmonies in the solo.

Bridge Burners is a bonus track and the intro certainly feels like that it had a lot of emotion injected into it. The music soon bashes your ear drums with stacked rhythms and vocal shouts that will get you throwing fists up in the air with all your might. I must saying after listening to this a couple of times it stands as a much stronger track and feels a mighty warrior coming right at you not letting anything standing its way. Even the bass has some moments where it shines through and the solo work feels more exciting capturing your attention. Your going to want to shout along, sing along and have a beer or two to this one!

Conclusion

Across all its steel‑clad theatrics and vivid world‑building, the album delivers plenty of character, atmosphere and punch, even if some moments play things a bit safe. Still, the band’s commitment to drama, heavy riffing and larger‑than‑life storytelling leaves a strong impression, hinting at even greater potential should they push further into the wilder edges of their sound.