Review: Palantyr, “The Ascent & The Hunger”

Release date: 2th May 2025

Palantyr, a new French band from Thionville, which was recently known as “Destrukt”, presents a new mini-LP consisting of six songs. Where had we heard the name Palantyr before? It sounds Greek, but no—that “Tyr” suffix takes us back to Odin’s Tyr, until suddenly—bam! Oh, right! A Palantír is a spherical seeing-stone that allows one to view distant places or communicate with other users, something we saw in The Lord of the Rings with the villainous Sauron. Looking at the cover, featuring a muscular man with a tower behind him, we’re ready to land—or perhaps we should say, to halt our horses and gaze upon the sonic horizon the band offers us.

LINE-UP
Athéna – Vocals
Atlantès – Guitars
Y.R. – Drums
L.R. – Bass
Ravenheart – Lead Guitars (tracks 1-3)
Odysseus – Lead Gutiars (tracks 4-6)

Review

Shan e Sorkh: Another mysterious term, which upon investigation, we learn belongs to Conan’s Hyborian Age and means “Great Red Waste”—a place certainly not meant for strolling around with hands in pockets, whistling. And indeed! The first hammering beats hit hard on the toms—dry and martial—courtesy of Y.R. on drums, accompanied by open and rhythmic guitar chords, conveying both power and slowness. Then, the first verses arrive, sung by Athena in a calm and clean voice. But this is merely the prelude: after a sharp scream, the march quickens, and the riffs sharpen with fast tremolo pickings and power chords, as if we suddenly grasped what this is all about—it’s life or death! Charging into battle with whatever is at hand, regardless of victory or defeat. The percussion work is refined; it doesn’t just accelerate into a simple Tupa-tupa beat, nor is it merely fast-paced melodic punk. Instead, intervals and rhythm changes are precisely accented, with an extensive use of cymbals. Athena sings in tune; she doesn’t showcase a particularly wide vocal range, but she doesn’t need to—she effortlessly emulates the classic ’80s female vocal style, with proper vibratos and a slightly reverberated vocal mix.

Broken Mirror: The opening chords have a very hard-rock structure, somewhere between AC/DC and UFO. As with the previous track, the fast-paced intro speeds up even further after the first verses. The chorus is all about raw, unaccompanied vocals, with a few well-placed high notes that add drama. The lead guitar, handled by Ravenheart, is solid—not focused on dazzling with virtuosity, but on enhancing the speed-driven tonal shifts the song offers. Some riffs are built using twin-guitar attacks, either an octave apart or harmonized, giving the song the essence of NWOTHM: power, melody, and velocity—the holy trinity of speed metal.

Son of the White Mare: We arrive at the longest track. While the previous ones were bursts of speed with some rhythmic shifts, here, everything is multiplied. The first section features inspired guitar rhythms, abandoning the linearity of the earlier tracks in favor of arpeggiated passages and melodic lines reminiscent of classic NWOBHM. Around 1:20, the first galloping riff kicks in, starting with a classic foundation before launching into a twin-guitar interplay. The bass, handled by L.R., which hadn’t been as prominent before, shines here with more defined lines. Thanks to the high guitar harmonies, it can be appreciated more clearly. As a third section, around the song’s midpoint, we descend into a melancholic ballad where Athena sounds much more refined, delivering sustained high notes. This moment is well-executed, as it reveals she has more vocal tools than previously displayed. The final section is all speed and drama, with old-school solos. For those who enjoy long songs, this track is the sacred sword of the album.

Ravenous: Acoustic guitars create a medieval-style introduction, with faint keyboards enhancing the folk-like atmosphere. These elegant harmonics work well, serving as a prelude to the first metal outburst—a mid-to-slow-tempo riff construction, galloping and slightly syncopated, signaling an epic intent. Sonic walls of mid-tempo grooves with great hooks, interwoven with fast sections and more-than-competent solo duels, help break up the rapid-fire parts, creating small sonic “greenhouses” amid roaring metal jungles.

Nosferatu: When it comes to covers, we usually either admire how faithfully they replicate the original, praising the musicians’ mimicry skills, or we recognize that the song hasn’t been imitated but recreated—that the band has made it their own, playing by their own rules. In this case, the song was originally composed and performed by English singer-songwriter Paul Roland. Instead of simply covering it, Palantyr has opted for the second approach: reinterpreting the piece in a speed metal style, incorporating fast-paced rhythms and dynamic sections. The bass is high in the mix, giving it a retro touch that’s greatly appreciated. The mid-song interlude speeds up with deep bass lines. The chorus—”Nosferatu”—lingers in the listener’s ears. Excellent performance, excellent cover, excellent original song. 10 out of 10.

Graveyard: The final track is a wise choice. The sound is less reverberated and cavernous, the machinery runs much more smoothly, and the alternating fast and furious riffs are sharper. Athena delivers her vocals effortlessly, shifting between warm verses and mid-range tones before unleashing those vocal whiplashes that add a lot to the band. The drums stand out more here, grooving fluidly with skillful ride cymbal work, hi-hat shifts, and crashes. Some sections recall early Show No Mercy-era Slayer, and even their death metal contemporaries like Massacra. This is particularly evident in the final stretch, which is nothing short of legendary: a dizzying pattern of blast beats and rapid tremolo picking creates a polyrhythmic field where the vocal phrasing is slow, but the rhythmic foundation is fast. The final solo unfolds note by note, calmly, within a whirlwind of guitars and bass. The acoustic guitars at the very end seem to remind us that after every storm comes a moment of peace. A majestic closing.

Conclusion

Classifying this work was challenging due to its brevity—clocking in at just over 30 minutes. Initially, I considered a 7.0, as while no track is dull or poorly executed, the first three songs felt somewhat repetitive, and the final mix was solid but not outstanding. However, things change in the second half, with better-executed tracks, improved vocal performance, and superior production, pushing the score closer to 9.0. How much of Destrukt and how much of Palantyr is present in each song? The band’s approach is promising, and we eagerly await their future releases.

TheNwothm Score: 8.5/10

Links

Bandcamp:https://palantyr-heavymetal.bandcamp.com/music

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

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jawbreaker.se

Label: Jawbreaker Records