Recent Reviews

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Lords of the Trident: Frostburn
Lords of the Trident - Frostburn CD Album Review

Lords of the Trident: Frostburn

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal
4.5/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Killer Metal Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 11.02.2015

Yup. The "most metal band on Earth," Lords of the Trident is back. Bow down puny heavy metal minions for their third long player Frostbun. Okay, most everything I said about the band and their previous EP Plan of Attack still holds true. They may look like they walked out of a live action Dungeons & Dragons skit at Comic-Con, but these dudes know how to craft some mighty fine American melodic power metal.

Lords of the Trident Photo

Lords of the Trident

While the wardrobe selection and goofy stage names are pure heavy metal wonkery, the music within is pretty darn terrific. Need I remind you every player in the band plays lead according to their particular instrument: lead guitar, lead bass, lead drums, yeah, lead drums. You get it. Basically, LoTT keep the fires of traditional glowing from it's early NWoBHM roots to it's current incarnation, mostly found in Europe. Their heavy metal is large on melody and harmony, mostly displayed through the twin guitar harmonies, but also the vocal arrangements. Ty "Fang Von Wrathenstein" Christian has a strong clear voice, and never rages or goes too screamo (well maybe within Kill To Die). Honestly, I think he's one of the best new heavy metal vocalists out there, and he's from the States. Gasp.

After these things, two things stand out in the songs. One is the flexibility of the arrangements, where tempos can vary, but only in the loosest sense. Most of the songs are heavy and charging in the true power metal style, but never without that aforementioned melody and harmony. And underneath everything is the band's simple instinct for groove. Lords of the Trident know that classic heavy metal should have you tapping your toe, while banging your head and doing windmills (if you still have the hair for it). The second stand out characteristic is simply the guitar work. The riffs are large and sharp, yet always melodic, and the leads kill: classic metal styling with a touch of the neo-classical. I think the only thing that would have made this album better would have been some sort of metal anthem. I'm not taking a ballad here, just something dialed back on the speed and heaviness. Shattered Skies with it's instrumental intro The Cloud Kingdom comes close, but it's still rather intense (though the guitar breakdown around the two-third point gives a nice respite). In the end, and quite plainly, Lords of the Trident's Frostburn is a fine and entertaining example of how "true" melodic heavy power metal should be done. Accept no substitutes. Recommended.

Lords of the Trident - Winds of the Storm


CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

In Short

Quite plainly, Lords of the Trident's Frostburn is a fine and entertaining example of how "true" melodic heavy power metal should be done. Accept no substitutes. Recommended.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lionville: Supernatural Album Review

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]