Release date: 21st November 2025

Label: Iron Shield Records

Review

The sound of galloping horses and chains awakens Knightmare Fight before shouts of Knightmare warms us up. The song takes full charge with a sound that all feels so heroic. Big synths act as bed for vocals that have a lot of power and throat. Like a stampede the music comes at you with pace and energetic riffs like your going into battle. If your the type of person that likes to wield plastic swords and axes at shows this is the son that is going to give you that opportunity.

Warrior is next up and at seven minutes in length lets see what unfolds. It cracks open with a ripping riff before an explosive solo erupts. This midtempo banger uses a mix of quick picking nad fiery rhythms to carry the song. But what I love is that there is a lot of changes in structure. There are exciting choruses which use cymbal hits, snare rolls and shouts of Warrior to get fans singing along. And just like the first track there are synth beds to add to that epicness creating width and scale. If your a fan of mighty solos and lead licks there is a plenty. From soaring solos that go to the skies to more chilled and smooth licks that cry out your ears will be serenaded! However there are some sections of the song I particularly love and that is when the vocals take a more heartfelt and deep delivery over rung out chords delivering a sense of wonderful height and expression! Excellent!

A.O.R. (All Out Running) opens with classic pulsating synths and squealing laser like guitar notes. Chords come roaring in with the bass and rolling drums before getting into the thick of things. A little lead section cracks its whip before the 4/4 driving rhythm pushes the song forward. The chugging that is locked with the drums literally has me gently banging my head while I am sat here writing this review. But once again the chorus does it for me making me throw my fist in the air shouting the song title with passion. And just like songs before there are some gentle pads in the background adding some thickness to the song. There is even more great lead work that will have you air guitaring at different moments. And even an interesting repeating note sequence on a synth before eventually returning with another huge sounding chorus. And when i say huge they literally go all out!

Lohengrin drops down to a more mellow and heartfelt direction. Slow drumming and bass lines are present with an atmosphere that carries delicate piano notes and semi acoustic guitars through the mist. Chords come in adding some weight before a lead guitar comes in weeping and letting out all its deepest emotions. And it is all magnificent. There are some bitter sweet feelings radiating from the instrumentation with regards to the choice of chords and notes. While there is a lot of brightness there are also moments which feel sad. This is an instrumental that gradually evolves, especially in the lead work which gets more intricate and sparks more flair. The fade out is very gradual which is a fitting end to the sing.

Rise Of The Immortals opens with a lonesome piano and intermittent stabs of rung out chords and cymbal hits. Gradually the piano picks up before a lead solo joins. It soon roars with everything thundering in. But all the while the piano continues at moments having more presence then others. Funnily enough the background melody reminds me of the James Bond theme. One thing that is album has not fallen short on is vocals that delivered fantastic performances. You can really feel the passion and heart with every line sung. A little solo comes makes an appearance before we move back to another verse. The music builds up adding some more complex drum patterns and then as we approach the half way mark there are some guitar screeches and shouts to break things up. Yet soon enough, we land on a small yet feisty guitar solo. The song powers on revisiting another verse and more guitar screeches and vocal shouts. When we land around the six minute mark everything drops down to more piano taking all the intensity away so we can breathe for a moment. The 4/4 drum patterns come back in along with the bass guitar and vocals soon enough going all out for the last moments of the song, especially with a hug ripping solo!

More piano welcomes us with the start of Still Believe. However this time there are some excellent guitar melodies to begin with. And rather then opting for huge instrumental passage the vocals come pretty much straight in over a gliding acoustic section where drums and bass gracefully carry the guitars. The music erupts for moments with powerful guitar chords and passionate vocal lines to add some height and intensity. The almost mid song sparking solo breaks things up helping it to transition back to the flowing sounds of acoustic guitars and vocals. I always welcome songs that bring balance to an album rather then being all full guns blazing. The song continues to bounce between softer moments and ones with more oomph. Later in the song there is a small stint where the solo takes control on top of quick picking rhythms. It almost feels like an erruption of guitar notes. Excellent!

Fatal Destroyer is the closing song on the record and we return to that uptempo energy. This just like some of the earlier tracks has the momentum and charge you could want. Electrifying lead moments and the return of synths even gaining some of the spotlight. The vocals are full of heart and emotion, really going for it and putting on commanding performance. But mid way through it drops down to more acoustic guitars with sailing strings in the background to give the sense of drifting. The song transforms into a slightly hypnotic atmosphere, mellow and chilled with a bit of play in the guitar work. A very expected ending that helps the listeners ears to calm down after a huge adventure of an album.

Conclusion

This album closes with a strong sense of completeness, weaving together its heavier moments and softer passages into a journey that feels both expansive and carefully balanced. The interplay of synths, guitars, and vocals consistently delivers scale and emotion, while the shifts in pace and atmosphere keep the listener engaged from start to finish. By the time the final track fades, the record has offered not just energy and spectacle but also depth and reflection, leaving a lasting impression as a well‑crafted and rewarding listen.

TheNwothm Score: 8.5/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://houndsmetal.bandcamp.com/album/rise-of-the-immortals

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

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

Label: https://ironshieldrecords.de/