BLAZON STONE
“Damnation”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

8/10

Hoist the mainsail, fly the Jolly Roger, there’s treasure and adventure to be had me hearties. 

Yes boys and girls, we’re settin’ sail on the high seas for fun and for riches, in the company of none other than Swedish metallers Blazon Stone – who took their name from the title of Running Wild’s sixth album (who in turn took their name from a Judas Priest song). In fact, Blazon Stone not only took their name from a Running Wild album, but their 2013 debut “Return To Port Royal” is a direct reference to the bands fourth album “Port Royal” (Port Royal is the place where the infamous pirate and lover of Anne Bonny, “Calico Jack” – real name John Rackham – met his demise). Blazon Stone don’t do things by halves – if you’re going to plunder something, fill your treasure chests with all that is worth taking. 

Our Swedish shipmates first formed a crew in 2011 and released four more studio albums after their 2013 debut: “No Sign Of Glory” – 2015, “War Of The Roses” – 2016, “Down In The Dark” – 2017 and “Hymns Of Triumph And Death – 2019, plus their 2016 E.P. “Ready For Boarding ” and the 2019 live album “Live In The Dark”. “Damnation” is their sixth album and eighth release in total.

So girls and boys, I bet you would like to know what piratical metal sea-shanty’s our friends, Cederick Forsberg (guitar, backing vocals, and songwriter), Marta Gabriel (bass guitar and backing vocals), Matias Palm (lead vocals), Emil Westin Skogh (guitar) and Karl Löfgren (drums) are bringing to speed this voyage. and ready us for the boarding of vessels and the taking of loot.

Well, after a short but epic instrumental intro (which is also the album’s title track), we have two rip-roaring rockers in “Endless Fires Of Hate” and “Raiders Of Jolly Roger”, which both sound like the soundtrack to action packed boarding of ships, with blistering solos and sing along choruses that you can chant whilst scrubbing the decks clean.

We enter calmer waters with “Chainless Spirit” yet still make good time with it, but it’s not long before we’re chasing “Black Sails On The Horizon” and plundering their ships.

“Wandering Souls” with guest guitar from Pancho Ireland of Merciless Law, is the perfect song to be singing while you’re about your chores, or drinking rum!

We’re back to raiding, plundering and causing “Hell On Earth” with the “Bohemian Renegade”. These are another two fast paced rockers with guitar solos to die for. There’s more gold on this album than Jack Sparrow ever dreamed of and we haven’t even reached the end yet.

A short instrumental with rattling of drums and bagpipes and “1671” is a quick introduction to the final leg of this voyage. “Highland Outlaw” is another fast paced rocker which goes on past the nine minute mark.

Now that was an adventure and a half, wasn’t it girls and boys. It’s time to divvy up the loot and I’m going to give Blazon Stone a well deserved 8/10 rating.

TRACKLIST

Damnation
Endless Fire Of Hate
Raiders Of Jolly Roger
Chainless Spirit
Black Sails On The Horizon
Wandering Souls
Hell On Earth
Bohemian Renegade
1671
Highland Outlaw

https://blazonstone.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BlazonStoneOfficial/

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