Woe Of Tyrants - Kingdom Of Might
Metal Blade
Melodic Death Metal
11 songs (41:38)
Release year: 2009
Woe Of Tyrants, Metal Blade
Reviewed by Khelek
Album of the month

I can safely say right now that very few new bands around today have the intensity and the skill of Woe Of Tyrants. Formed in 2004 these guys are a relatively new band on the scene, with only one other album under their belt. This is their first with Metal Blade. But if you like raw, heavy, melodic death metal, let not the inexperience and youngness of the band dissuade you from picking this up. This is pure melodic death metal, with emphasis on the death. Some older death metal bands have obviously influenced these guys and it shows in their music. However, they are obviously fans of more modern bands and they blend these influences together with their own unique style to create something amazing.

The intro starts with some marching type music that conjure some epic images in my mind, perhaps a medieval army going to battle? Then the guitars come in with the song Soli Deo Gloria. The vocals are of the growled, death metal variety, and I have to say they are pretty damn good. I can immediately feel the raw anger of the song. The tempo picks up a few bars later and I find myself really getting into this song. The guitars and vocals go together perfectly and the production is superb as well. The melodic guitar leads are also pretty well done even if they are a little overdone at times. The song does get a bit lengthy, but it's definitely a solid start to the album. Break The Fangs Of The Wicked starts out quick with some more melodic guitar work for about 30 seconds. Then the vocals of Chris Catanzaro rip into you like a chainsaw. The song continues at breakneck speed for the most part, shredding everything in its path. I'm really starting to enjoy the guitar work in this album. It's extremely skillfully done, kudos to John Hehman and Matt Kincaid; these guys obviously know their stuff. I could go on about the merits in just about every song on this album, but I'll spare you. Just listen to the album and hear it for yourself. Nonetheless I want to mention the instrumental track Sons Of Thunder. This song is extremely heavy and catchy. It is a slower song on the album, but it has all the right stuff. The heavy drumming and crushing guitar grooves that will have you wondering if these guys are indeed descendants of Thor himself. It also gives you some breathing space before the next dose of devastating intensity hits you in the eardrums.

Just about every song on this disk is extremely catchy and easy to get into, but still full of raw emotion and intensity. The guitar soloing gets a bit ridiculous at times, but in a good way, not a Dragonforce way. The drumwork is also extremely tight, it's very fast but not in a blastbeat kind of way, in a heavy as shit kind of way. There is also not a whole lot of breakdown action, which is good because it is definitely not needed on an album like this. An album that is fast from beginning to end, rarely letting you come up for air while the hooks and the melody just keep pounding away in a manner of violent emotion that is rarely seen in new bands these days. You can tell these guys work hard at what they do and really put themselves into the music. It's extremely authentic and extremely refreshing. I also hear in the music a sense that the young band is trying to prove themselves to the metal community. Well in this case, it worked. This album blew me away. Hopefully this young band will keep improving their sound and be around for years to come.

Killing Songs :
All of them!
Khelek quoted 92 / 100
Other albums by Woe Of Tyrants that we have reviewed:
Woe Of Tyrants - Threnody reviewed by Khelek and quoted 60 / 100
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