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Highlord: Hic Sunt Leones

Power Metal

4.0/5.0

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Massacre Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 08.06.2016

It's remarkable when you think about it. Italy's Highlord has been around 20 years and, for personnel, the band has been a revolving door. Not a single member of the current band is an original and founding member, and I'm quite sure every album has had a different lineup. Yet, the band continues on and they return with their eighth album, Hic Sunt Leones which is Latin for "Here there are lions."

Highlord

What remains constant is Highlord's commitment to melodic and heavy power metal embellished by keyboard provided symphonic orchestration. In other words, this is quick-paced, hard charging, and bombastic heavy metal. They are from Italy after all.

Now, I haven't listened to a Highlord album since 2009's Death Of The Artists, but I don't recall them ever using dirty or death vocals. Well, you'll find them here, at least, as I could determine, on two songs: One World At A Time and Let There Be Fire. Experimentation, I guess. They're kind of crappy. It doesn't help either that Andrea Marchisio's vocals, though melodic and clean, aren't all that articulate. You really can't understand him. Even within the quieter ballad with acoustic guitar you have to strain to understand him. Otherwise, musically speaking, if you like symphonic power metal with lots of classic, soaring guitar solos and some synth flourishes, you will enjoy another Highlord album. Top picks: Be King Or Be Killed, Wrong Side Of Sanity, and Once Were Immortal.

Highlord - One World At A Time

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If you like symphonic power metal with lots of classic soaring guitar solos and some synth flourishes, you will enjoy Highlord's Hic Sunt Leones.

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