Release date: 19th December 2025

Label: Metalizer Records

Review

Prodomos is a brief introduction that opens with riffs and synthesizers, immediately establishing the link to the eighties: a sharp guitar sound that oscillates between American horror punk and the NWOBHM.

Olive Wreath confirms it. This is a pure barrage of an opening, with direct percussion, no double bass and no endless cymbal work. Sebastian Tölle’s voice is angry and energetic, without a highly polished technique, opting instead to alternate between high notes and slightly raspy mid tones. It feels like listening to Tom Araya or Paul Baloff from the mythical early Exodus, but better equalized and with more body than those old recordings. Indeed, the chords are heavy and simple, as are the solos, which do not complicate themselves with large scales.

Thread of Life maintains the same approach. After a few brief bass lines, we hear the attack of the rhythm guitars, with alternating up and down picking, adding small rhythmic twists to reinforce the chorus. What we get is a song that takes the pounding percussion of punk, the vibe of eighties thrash, and the complexity of heavy metal by extending the compositions with solos and different sections within each track.

Fire and Brimstone is built around a fast, chromatic chord, with hard rock nuances and fast sections based on single string palm muting. While it is an effective song that does not seek to reinvent the wheel but rather to recreate early metal, it clearly shows that lead guitar is not the band’s strong point. And this should not be misunderstood. Playing simple or easy parts is acceptable in less demanding styles such as hardcore, but here the lead guitar remains too opaque. There is no clear personal mark from the player, it sounds very flat, and it is not related to speed either. Just ask Jeff Beck or Joe Satriani.

A good opportunity to hear all instruments attacking together comes with Olymp, which offers a minute and a half long introduction with more developed bass lines and more drum fills. Even though the overall performance still tends to be flat, there is the use of double bass or double pedal here, giving the composition more punch and rhythmic drive.

With a cinematic introduction and a tearing scream, Eternal Torment begins. The title already suggests a crushing, warlike and extremely heavy song, and it delivers by introducing semi galloping riffs and chromatic chords from the thrash metal school. The song alternates well between mid tempos and faster passages, but the lead guitar remains buried. The solos feel weak in execution and uninspired, even containing many notes outside the scales, without reaching the kind of dissonance characteristic of Slayer, for example. Even so, Eternal Torment is a suitable track to understand the album’s proposal, as it is the most balanced one.

Titan War follows a similar path. It opens with a fast barrage of rolls and then moves into mid tempo sections, generating denser guitar layers without oversaturating. Although it has a recognizable riff throughout, its development becomes somewhat monotonous.

Orpheus shows a different development, with neo prog accents and more frequent tempo changes, making extensive use of single string palm muted bursts and rapid chord successions. Beyond those details, it is a track that does not differ significantly from the rest.

We reach the end with White Rose, a power ballad, though not in the traditional sense. It alternates clean guitars with distorted sections, features some good riffs and moments that seek to convey strength and power, such as the lament filled high notes delivered by the vocalist. Still, in overall terms, this is not a memorable composition. It is correct, but it does not close the album with a true sense of triumph.

Conclusion

Overall, the album makes it clear that the band has an identity firmly rooted in eighties metal, with solid rhythm riffs, constant energy, and a good understanding of thrash, heavy metal, and punk metal codes. The main strength lies in the foundation. The songs work thanks to their rhythm, drive, and attitude, and there are moments, such as Eternal Torment and Olymp, where the proposal feels more balanced and ambitious. However, the album also exposes limitations that, if addressed, could significantly raise the final result. The lead guitar lacks a distinct character, the drums tend toward an overly flat performance, and several compositions suffer from monotonous developments or endings that fail to leave a strong impression. This is not a bad album, but it is one that calls for more risk, more instrumental personality, and greater attention to detail in order to stand out in a very crowded field.

TheNwothm Score: 6.5/10

Links

Bandcamp:https://olympmetal.bandcamp.com/

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

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/olympheavymetal/

Label: Metalizer Records