Release date: Out Now!

Formed by Sage Savage in 2019, Blade’s Edge is one man band from Ecuador that greatly summons the edgy sound of old school 80’s heavy metal with Sage Savage’s twists. After two EPs (Witchspells, Cursed Blade) Blade’s Edge has proudly released the first and new full length album in the catalog titled, “The Fate’s Key” through Stormspell Records!

Review

Orblight serves as the intro to the album, the door that opens to the inside world of “The Fate’s Key”. With a short introductory monologue by a mysterious woman and eerie/ mystical background ambiance that begins to lay the foundation of the album’s overall mood and tone.

Hollow Gratitudes already kicks off in high gear with awesome guitar riffage, it gets your head banging instantaneously. It has a nice upbeat and speedy tempo, it is a nice and powerful, clean track to begin the album with. It manages to incorporate the rawness and speediness you hear in 80’s speed metal and heavy metal, but of course with a modern pinch. I personally was instantly hooked after listening to the first few notes on this song!

So Bright and Yearing is just as fun and powerful like the previous track, it is back to back epic riffs and super charged up solos with this track. The fact that Sage Savage played all parts of this track and of course the rest of the tracks in the album is very noteworthy. In this track, I did get Vince Neil style vocal vibes from the “Too Fast to Love” days with more edge and rawness, really a fantastic track on the album.

Her Sacrifice is the first of the longer tracks on the album, it starts off slow, melodic, flowy.. almost reminded me of the ambiance that was set in “Orblight” previously. It is like a power ballad, but rightfully manages to keep the raw and heavy aspect of the song as well. The instrumentation is excellent, as it mostly serves as an instrumental, probably one of my personal favorites from this album by far!

A Beast Under The Moonlight is another of the longer tracks in the album, and for some reason the riffs reminded me of the opening riffs in High Speed Dirt by Megadeth. It switches up the tempo to a slower but then a more speedy tempo that creates an interesting balance throughout the song. Towards the middle, there is a great display of guitar soloing that I personally also enjoyed listening to. A well done track.

Midnight Desire begins with some synth undertones and demanding guitar riffs that beckon you right into the song. The track is super charged, it is packed with intensity and head bang worthy moments. Again, like most of the tracks we have reviewed so far, it is speedy but also even brings some of the nostalgic 80’s sleezy tone towards the middle of the track. It has an appealing melody that gets stuck in your head, especially the chorus!

Vitrium (Una De Cristal) is a short track; It is slow, flowy with the electric guitar also accompanying the acoustic melodies in it. The tones are clean and sophisticated, almost reminded me of a Dokken ballad with the George Lynch-esque guitar work. And because it is very short, it slowly builds up in continuation to the following track:

Rebirth in Sorrow continues on from Vitrium, it is a gratifying opening to the track, it wonderfully lays down the framework for the rest of the song. The tempo is taken up a notch further into the song, and personally I noticed that the instrumentation work in this track is also brilliant. The drumming, guitar, and bass work along with Sage’s vocals all are very noteworthy because how good every aspect falls into place. Definitely dig this track as well!

Voice in My Head is another of the longer tracks in the album, just a bit over 6 minutes and it fires off quickly with crazy good riffs, and assertive drumming that captures you right into it. A way I would describe this song is imagining early 80’s Judas Priest, “Theater of Pain” by Motley Crue and “Tooth and Nail” by Dokken, all combined together in an interesting heavy Metal fusion that I thoroughly also enjoyed and valued.

The Fate’s Key is another awesome song in the track list, probably my favorite out of the already amazing album. It is lively, and nicely crafted. It is one of those tracks that is perfectly put together for those that love a classic, nostalgic 80’s Heavy Metal sound. It definitely sounds like 80’s LA Heavy Metal but with a more raw, edgier and heavier spin to it. It serves as a key for the fate of new trad. heavy metal.

Cry Out (Bonus Track) was released as a demo in 2020, and it Is also a great bonus track for “The Fate’s Key”. It instantly oozes 80’s Heavy Metal in terms of tone and sound. It is incredibly catchy, “Cry it Out… Cry it Out!” I personally loved this track too. The soloing is.. again, just one of the many focal points that stood out the most because it brings out the emotions of the track. It is a simple, yet just an awesome track that brings the vibrancy of the old school sound.

Conclusion

As my first time listening to Blade’s Edge, I can say I was definitely hooked within the first couple of songs in “The Fate’s Key”. As someone that also enjoys old school bands and in the look out for newer bands with that classic sound, this was a perfect album to give a listen to. It is an ideal album for those that are fans of 80’s Heavy metal and Heavy Rock, like Dokken, Judas Priest, Icon, and I can even say Picture as well. It is fervent, electrifying and vibrant all at the same time. And Lastly, Please do make sure to also check out Blade’s Edge two EPs as well!

TheNwothm Score: 9/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://stormspell.bandcamp.com/album/the-fates-key

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blades-Edge-318725309023310/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blades.edge/

Label: http://www.stormspell.com/