Power metal as a genre tends to be somewhat stuck in its ways. The traditional formula of an operatic male vocalist, somewhat neoclassical lead guitar parts, and machine-gun rhythm guitar riffs have served it well and many bands still play the traditional style without altering the formula much. That said, with their new album “Soulless Child,” Italian power metal band Ancient Bards have taken a unique approach to metal’s most epic subgenre, and by just making a few slight alterations to the formula, they've made an album which truly stands out.
One of the first things that set Ancient Bards apart from their peers is that their singer, Sara Squadrani, is female. While this is by no means unheard of in power metal, the approach which she takes to singing these songs is definitely not the norm for female power metal vocalists.
Generally, there have been two main archetypes which female power metal singers have followed, that being either singing in an extremely classical operatic style (e.g. Simone Simmons of Epica, Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish) or to basically sing like a pop singer. Sara, on the other hand, takes an approach more comparable to her male counterparts, channeling a great deal of power and aggression into the vocals without relying on an overly operatic style.
Another thing which makes the band unique is their bassist Martino Garattoni. In a genre which since its inception has been full of simplistic bass parts which don’t add anything but support to the songs, Martino stands out. As soon as I heard the tapped bass solo in “To the Master of Darkness” (my favorite song on the album, for the record), I knew that this band was different. The technical complexity of the bass parts on this record is almost unheard of in the power metal genre and is a big part of what makes this album great.
I’m sure what you’re wondering now is how the more traditional keyboard and guitar parts play into this. As this is power metal, one gets the usual movie score-type orchestral keyboard parts along with incredibly fast palm-muted guitar parts. While these are some of their less innovative elements, they’re done extremely well and it should be noted that their keyboard melodies do seem a bit more musically complex than those of many of their peers.
While the rhythm guitar parts are adequate (nothing to write home about), it should be mentioned that the guitar solos on this album are some of the best I've heard on a power metal record in a while. Claudio Pietronik switches flawlessly from tapping to sweep-picking to full-on face-melting shred solos without skipping a beat in solos that would put many of his peers from more virtuosic subgenres to shame.
Some of the best moments on this album come from songs like the title track which feature outstanding guitar solos leading in to a keyboard solo, then back into guitar, wonderfully displaying just how proficient this band is at their chosen craft.
If you enjoy symphonic metal or power metal of any kind, this is definitely an album you need to pick up ASAP. The musicianship displayed on “Soulless Child” is nothing short of masterful and anyone who loves lots of super-complex solos bouncing off one another is going to get a huge kick out of it. Although this is only their second album, I think it’s safe to say that Ancient Bards have a bright future ahead of them, and it will be very interesting to see what they come up with next.
Four out of Five Stars
One of the first things that set Ancient Bards apart from their peers is that their singer, Sara Squadrani, is female. While this is by no means unheard of in power metal, the approach which she takes to singing these songs is definitely not the norm for female power metal vocalists.
Generally, there have been two main archetypes which female power metal singers have followed, that being either singing in an extremely classical operatic style (e.g. Simone Simmons of Epica, Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish) or to basically sing like a pop singer. Sara, on the other hand, takes an approach more comparable to her male counterparts, channeling a great deal of power and aggression into the vocals without relying on an overly operatic style.
Another thing which makes the band unique is their bassist Martino Garattoni. In a genre which since its inception has been full of simplistic bass parts which don’t add anything but support to the songs, Martino stands out. As soon as I heard the tapped bass solo in “To the Master of Darkness” (my favorite song on the album, for the record), I knew that this band was different. The technical complexity of the bass parts on this record is almost unheard of in the power metal genre and is a big part of what makes this album great.
I’m sure what you’re wondering now is how the more traditional keyboard and guitar parts play into this. As this is power metal, one gets the usual movie score-type orchestral keyboard parts along with incredibly fast palm-muted guitar parts. While these are some of their less innovative elements, they’re done extremely well and it should be noted that their keyboard melodies do seem a bit more musically complex than those of many of their peers.
While the rhythm guitar parts are adequate (nothing to write home about), it should be mentioned that the guitar solos on this album are some of the best I've heard on a power metal record in a while. Claudio Pietronik switches flawlessly from tapping to sweep-picking to full-on face-melting shred solos without skipping a beat in solos that would put many of his peers from more virtuosic subgenres to shame.
Some of the best moments on this album come from songs like the title track which feature outstanding guitar solos leading in to a keyboard solo, then back into guitar, wonderfully displaying just how proficient this band is at their chosen craft.
If you enjoy symphonic metal or power metal of any kind, this is definitely an album you need to pick up ASAP. The musicianship displayed on “Soulless Child” is nothing short of masterful and anyone who loves lots of super-complex solos bouncing off one another is going to get a huge kick out of it. Although this is only their second album, I think it’s safe to say that Ancient Bards have a bright future ahead of them, and it will be very interesting to see what they come up with next.
Four out of Five Stars
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