antiMusic.com: Visigoth - The Revenant King Review

Visigoth - The Revenant King
by Matt Hensch

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Visigoth hails from Utah, a mystical land where the blessings of Joseph Smith and Karl Malone live and breathe in the soil. There is much to admire throughout "The Revenant King," as the traits of metallic juggernauts ranging from Battleroar to Manilla Road are echoed in its hour-long voyage of steely glory. While it has some tedious bits, I'm mostly impressed by Visigoth's efforts, which often show a dynamic approach to the heavy metal genre. The band's musical relations to Manilla Road and others are etched further by a cover of "Necropolis," a stout guitar-driven classic created by the aforementioned legendary group whose influence infiltrates the blood of Visigoth. "The Revenant King" is a sight to behold, for the most part; each of its nine chapters is no less than a punch of steel.

There is a sense of segregation among the quality of these tunes. It becomes easy to validate the group's interpretation of this epic heavy metal style after dropping two slayers as soon as the motor turns over. The title track and "Dungeon Master" are excellent songs, extravaganzas which capture the dynamic of Visigoth through a lens capable of pinpointing the band's strengths. The title track runs on an epic, heroic featurette of robust heavy metal, while the pace and tempo are kicked up on "Dungeon Master," a power metal feast. The vigor of "The Revenant King" begins to corrode once "Mammoth Rider" fills the shoes of "Dungeon Master." Not a poor track, what with its unhurried riffs and valiant grooves, but the magic begins to dwindle a bit.

Afterwards, the tracks level off and stick to remaining solid. They drive on a straightforward path with plenty of gallant heavy metal in sight, divided only by the Manowar-esque "Iron Brotherhood" and the Manilla Road cover. There are no faults among the performances, which are tight and fulfilling. Jake Rogers' vocals are especially poignant around this musical setting; his low, classic tenor fills the bard role perfectly. I will say, however, that for a CD that runs for over an hour, there should be some extra spice protruding from "From the Arcane Mists of Prophecy" and "Vengeance," both of which take up a fair amount of time. Visigoth, otherwise, takes a fairly clinical approach to epic heavy metal. Nothing here of the candid style is exceptionally candid; it is brave heavy metal with a determined edge-exactly how a veteran of the style would imagine.

Visigoth - The Revenant King
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