Visigoth – The Revenant King

One subgenre of metal that has not had enough success since the 1980s in USPM. For this reason, it’s surprising to see a young band come out of nowhere and get signed by one of metal’s biggest labels: Metal Blade Records. This is the story of Visigoth and their debut full-length “The Revenant King” (though they also had an EP on the great Swords and Chains Records). If the viking/wizard/awesome character on the album cover isn’t telling enough, this album is concerned with power, glory, and majesty. Forget the keyboards, as Visigoth is about riffs, and lots of them. Every song on this 60-minute release is so definitively 1980s sounding that the cover of Manilla Road’s “Necropolis” sounds like an original song. You might be worried about the band sustaining an hour of this level of might, but they do it effortlessly. As someone who hates long records, this album is not one that bothers me.

Part of what makes this album so incredible is the vocals of Jake Rogers. It sounds as though he is deliberately trying to be epic with each line he delivers. He has fantastic control of his voice and uses it to great effect. This is particularly evident on by far the best song, “Dungeon Master”. The stellar delivery of “take a chance, roll the dice, is this hell or paradise” is the catchiest moment on the album. This song is a high-speed affair where Visigoth gives you everything they have. Many of the other songs are pounding anthems, relying on heaviness rather than speed. Visigoth does tend to be better when they play faster, but both sounds work, as demonstrated on the rocking “Blood Sacrifice”.

From a production standpoint, everything is up to par on "The Revenant King". Every instrument is mixed perfectly (bass included). The drums are dynamic and display a full range of sounds. The guitars are even more versatile, as this album has plenty of leads and solos to go alongside the riffs, and everything sounds fantastic. “The Revenant King” really doesn’t deserve any criticism. If anything, sometimes the songs have too many lyrics and would be better off letting the instruments breathe, but because Rogers’ vocals are so good, it really doesn’t matter. Perhaps what is best about this release is that it just feels inspired. It’s nothing original, but it’s true to an established formula.

Be sure to check out and like Visigoth on Facebook!

Highlights

"The Revenant King"

"Dungeon Master"

"Blood Sacrifice"

Final Rating

4.2/5 or 84%. 

Written by Scott