Sorcerer: The Crowning of the Fire King

The cover art for this album is so good I have to comment on it first. We've seen images of terrible-looking kings sitting on thrones before, but this one is just too interesting to ignore. It hints at a fascinating story, one that promises plenty of drama, intrigue, and epic battles. Just who is this Fire King? Why are his eyes burning? What are those skulls stacked high above his head? The cover offers no answers, but it certainly captures the power and scope of this album.

Like that Fire King, Sorcerer has its own epic backstory, one that I won't in detail here, save only to remind readers that the band started in 1988, broke up in 1992, and started things up again in 2010. Since 2010, the band signed with Metal Blade and released In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross in 2015 and now, in 2017, The Crowning of the Fire King. The band's current lineup is as follows: Anders Engberg (vocals), Kristian Niemann (guitars), Peter Hallgren (guitars), Johnny Hagel (bass), and Richard Evensand (Drums). The band is popular with audiences and with critics and are rightly enjoying the success and recognition they hoped for all those years ago. They've earned it—and their music shows off a dedication to the craft and to the fans.

The best thing about The Crowning of the Fire King is that it conveys a variety of emotions from track to track. Even though the band has a signature sound, there's no sense that they are simply recycling easy songwriting practices. Every song comes across as carefully constructed, performed, and recorded. There's an epic quality to the music that comes through the music, no matter what the tempo or mood may be. Sorcerer is typically described as doom metal—and the description is apt—but some fans will hear something more like a blend of power metal and the sword and sorcery music composed by Ronnie James Dio. And yet, there's never a moment that simply looks backward. The music owes a great deal to the past, but still sounds current. The band's promo materials use the expression "Royal Epic Doom" to describe things an it suits the band perfectly. The music has lofty ambitions and the band certainly delivers in terms of maturity, performance, and songwriting. I really enjoyed "Sirens," "Abandoned by the Gods," "The Devil's Incubus," and "Crimson Cross." The title track was also good, if perhaps a little too long. The instrumental track "Nattvaka" was also terrific. As you listen, pay attention to the guitar solos. They are virtuosic and impressive but, more importantly, they are also melodic and memorable. This is an album worth checking out.

Track Listing:
1. Sirens
2. Ship of Doom
3. Abandoned by the Gods
4. The Devil's Incubus
5. Vattvaka
6. Crimson Cross
7. The Crowning of the Fire King
8. Unbearable Sorrow

Added: December 6th 2017
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 1625
Language: english

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