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Kardinal Sin: Victorious
Kardinal Sin - Victorious Music Review

Kardinal Sin: Victorious

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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Massacre Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.04.2018

Swedish band Kardinal Sin was not always Kardinal Sin. Beginning in 2001, they were an Accept cover band, but they quickly began to write their own music. The cover band morphed into Rough Diamond who, from 2006 to 2012, released four EPs and one full-length album. With personnel changes, Rough Diamond transformed into Kardinal Sin. In early 2017 they dropped their self-titled EP via the obscure Swedish label Tramp Music. Later in October 2017, via digital delivery, Kardinal Sin arrived with Victorious, their first long player. Now the album has been picked up by Germany's Massacre Records for wider international release.

Kardinal Sin Band Photo

Kardinal Sin

It's not enough to say that Kardinal Sin plays traditional European power metal. You have to add additional adjectives like heavy, bombastic, and even epic. The band draws upon the typical elements of the genre: a wall of harmonious sharp riffs, a thundering rhythm section for gallop and groove, and clean melodic vocals. But what makes the Kardinal Sin sound so powerful and bombastic is the infusion of a strong layer of symphonic synths with the guitar, bass and drum lines. While the songs can move with the speedy pace of power metal, they also rise and swell with faux orchestration for a grand and encompassing sound. Toss in some choral-like vocal arrangements and bristling guitar solos, and Kardinal Sin has created the melodic power metal perfect storm.

Many songs lead with Thomas Gustafsson's symphonic synths such as Victorious, Walls Of Stone, Bonaparte, and Raven Quote or, with Mastermind, his piano. But every song quickly rises to swift bombastic power metal. Patria is song that combines a choral vocal start with brisk riffage and the quickness of power metal. S.I.N turns upon mixed pacing, movements both lighter and heavier, and some epic guitar lines. With Attack, the song begins with the sound of a church organ before leaping into the gallop and groove of power metal. Kardinal Sin revisits their cover of the Disney song Bells Of Notre Dame, from the animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and found on their 2017 EP. Finally, the album ends with the bonus track, For The Heroes, a gentle ballad turning on piano and voice and supported by synth orchestration. All said, if you like your power metal both epic and bombastic, thanks to a generous amount of riffage and symphonic synths, you will enjoy Kardinal Sin's Victorious. Easily recommended.



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The Bottom Line

If you like your power metal both epic and bombastic, thanks to a generous amount of riffage and symphonic synth, you will enjoy Kardinal Sin's Victorious. Easily recommended.

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