FRETERNIA
“THE GATHERING”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Freternia are a power metal band from Sweden, forming in 1998, releasing their debut album ‘Warchants & Fairytales’ in 2000. The bands sophomore album ‘A Nightmare Story’ was released in 2002, with the band disappearing from the limelight for the next seventeen years…returning in 2019 with their third album ‘The Gathering’. During the quiet years, two members of Freternia, vocalist Pasi Humppi and guitarist Patrik von Porat, formed Cromonic in 2005, releasing one album ‘Time’, in 2017. So, will ‘The Gathering’ aid Freternia in their quest to rediscover their early 2000’s popularity…?

We will have to wait and see, but for now, the opening shot in the bands quest is the sheer weight of their new album – thirteen songs across a sixty six minute play time. A cracking offering that gets underway with the one minute, crescendo building, atmospheric intro ‘Intro’…! The album explodes into life proper with ‘Reborn’, a crushing avalanche of power metal riffage that sets a blistering pace as it hurtles on by at break neck speed. Think Helloween, Gamma Ray, Rage and Running Wild in full flight and you have ‘Reborn’, which is an aptly titled opener for a band that has returned to the metal scene after seventeen years. ‘Last Crusade’ slows the tempo to a mid paced, very heavy melodic march. Shuddering the ground it strides on, ‘Last Crusade’ is heavier than a wrecking ball, and wreaking more devastation than an out of control steam roller in a lot full of parked cars. The heaviness doesn’t abate one iota with ‘The Escape’ maintaining the albums overall heavy/power metal style. More melodic and catchy than any of the opening triple shots, ‘The Escape’ is anthemic as it strolls on by. The passing years have not deteriorated the bands passion and desire for heavy metal, with their new album a full force foray of savage riffery. Picking up the energy and bombast, ‘In Solitude’ races off at full tilt, swinging from fast paced to a mid paced heavy foot stomp.

A fiery opening third, the album still has a long way to go, but with infectious levels reaching maximum, ‘The Gathering’ is a “can’t stop listening” offering. The pace and power of ‘In Solitude’ is maintained with ‘Eye The Shadow Of Your Sins’, also taking in the genre of the epic, as it majestically and anthemically struts its stuff. A proud and loud album. Freternia are firing on all cylinders, raising the roof wherever ‘The Gathering’ is played. ‘End Of The Line’ is one of two songs that stretches past the six minute mark… And what an atmospheric epic ‘End Of The Line’ is. Majestic doesn’t quite describe it, it’s melodic mastery as its most mighty. Stepping into territory owned by bands such as Powerwolf, HammerFall, Sabaton and Bloodbound, ‘End Of The Line’ stands tall. Darker, heavier and moodier than anything that’s gone before, ‘Fading World’ thumps and thunders its way forth. Mid to high paced, ‘Fading World’ is full of bluff and bluster as it blasts on past. ‘Change Of Life’ is a melodic monster, a mighty mid tempo foot stomp of the most heaviest nature. If the guitars weren’t so heavy, ‘Change Of Life’ would have dropped into ballad territory, but thankfully Freternia have stayed two steps away.

Two thirds gone with the quest in full flight, Freternia add a touch of the symphonic metal genre to the album. ‘Last Fragments Of Sanity’ is a barn storming romp of epic symphonic power metal, with a sing a long style chorus to boot. ‘Last Fragments Of Sanity’ maintains the albums overall heavy/power metal sound too, melding traits of both the European and American styles. ‘Dark Vision’ is a vicious thunderstorm, a pulsating pummelling of the senses, a mighty foot stomp that turns into a blistering speed metal gallop, as it switches from mid to high pace with absolute ease. The second six minutes plus offering ‘Final Dawn’, is a fast paced “foot on the monitor” styled gallop. Blending power metal with the classic sound of traditional heavy metal ‘Final Dawn’ is the most head bangingly addictive song on the album. And so we reach the final song, after a sixty six minute ballad free journey. ‘Age Of War’ is high velocity, high speed power metal, echoing the combined sounds of bands such as Helloween, Gamma Ray, Rage and Running Wild. What a ride… So, have Freternia done enough in their quest to re-capture their popularity from seventeen years ago…? I believe they have…

Overall, a shuddering and thundering rampage of heavy/power metal, infectious and catchy and a great “hour of power” journey.

TRACKLIST

Intro
Reborn
Last Crusade
The Escape
In Solitude
Eye The Shadow Of Your Sins
End Of The Line
Fading World
Change Of Life
Last Fragments Of Sanity
Dark Vision
Final Dawn
Age Of War

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