LORDS OF BLACK
“Mechanics Of Predacity”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Lords Of Black are a heavy metal band from Spain formed in 2014 by vocalist Ronnie Romero (Elegant Weapons, Destinia, ex Rainbow) and guitarist Tony Hernando, releasing six albums to date – ‘Lords Of Black’ (2014), ‘II’ (2016), ‘Icons Of The New Days’ (2018). ‘Alchemy Of Souls Part I’ (2020), ‘Alchemy Of Souls Part II’ (2021), and ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ (2024).

Alongside Romero and Hernando, bass player Dani Criado and drummer Jo Nunez (Dragonland, Firewind) complete the bands line-up – the new album featuring ten songs across an incredible one hour run time! That’s one hour of immense majesty, Lords Of Black masters at fusing elements of power and progressive metal into the bands traditional heavy metal roots. Every song on offer is majestic, right through from one to ten – ‘For What Is Owed To Us’ slow burning into life with a tonne of atmosphere and anticipation, finally breaking into a gallop after a minute or so! Lords Of Black are arguably one of the finest metal bands around at the moment, the song writing partnership of Romero and Hernando in peak (physical and mental) condition, as ‘For What Is Owed To US’ roars on with one “foot on the monitor” and the other pressing the pedal firmly to the metal. This is heavy metal at it’s melodic best…

…progressive metal best too – ‘Let The Nightmare Come’ marching on with a ground shuddering aura that’s gonna crumble walls and shake buildings, Lords Of Black an unforgiving outfit intent on delivering the greatest heavy metal they can! And I reckon they’re doing a fucking great job here, ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ my fourth album review for the Spanish sensations, each new one just as good if not better than the last – faultless stuff from the Madrid four-piece. The first minute or so of ‘I Want The Darkness To Stop’ is very much Iron Maiden-esque with regards to elegance and majesty, yet when ‘I Want The Darkness To Stop’ gets going proper it’s all Lords Of Black, the bands combination of progressive tendencies with traditional heavy metal, one of the greatest combinations ever – even greater than combining bacon with eggs, burgers with fries, pasta with cheese or peanut butter with jelly!

Bloody ‘ell I’m fucking hungry now, hungry for more metal, ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ powering on at its most heaviest since it began, ‘Let It Burn’ devouring the airways with more force than gravity! And that’s a huge force – gravity, after all, stops us from falling off the face of the planet, the band grabbing every listeners attention and not letting go. And if you’ve never heard Lords Of Black before, where the fucking hell have you been for the last ten years? You’ve missed out on some exceptional heavy metal that’s for sure – heavy metal that’s infectious, melodic and head bang-able, the album striding on with shoulders back and head held high courtesy of the majestic ‘Can We Be Heroes Again’. The melodious intent on show here is off the fucking charts, Lords Of Black moving a four decade old sound into a completely new dimension – scientists would have you believe there’s only four dimensions, three spatial and one time dimension. Well sports fans, I’m here to tell you there’s a fifth – the Lords Of Black dimension where everything is metal, melodious, and magnetised! For the magnetism oozing out of ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ is irresistible, attracting every metalhead on the planet into the bands soundscape – a soundscape that turns anthemic as ‘Crown Of Thorns’ foot stomps its way into sight. The bombastic nature of ‘Crown Of Thorns’ is emphatic, the band battering listeners with a bold blend of mid tempo thunder-stomping heavy metal.

And thunder-stomping heavy metal remains front and centre, ‘Obsessions Of The Mind’ upping the tempo and energy levels higher than ‘Crown Of Thorns’, Lords Of Black pushing their progressive leanings to the fore, stirring in an old school heavy metal gallop as the bands mind blowing myriad of metal styles continues apace. The variation on offer here is wide, very wide, the Spanish outfit not keeping within traditional limits, boundaries or borders – Romero and Hernando pushing the envelope further than ever before! On a scale of one to excellent, ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ is outstanding, and a must listen for every metalhead on the planet – ‘Build The Silence’ taking on a darker and much heavier feel than everything heard so far. And the change of pace at half way is sensational, the band roaring down the autopista at full throttle, everyone everywhere rocking their heads back and forth faster than at any other time on the album.

And now for the albums centrepiece, the eleven minute long ‘A World That’s Departed’. By far and away the longest song on offer, ‘A World That’s Departed’ is offered in three parts – ‘About To Reset’, ‘Absentia’ and ‘A Final Sense Of Truth’, and rather than review the individual parts, I’m just gonna review the song as a whole. A song that’s dramatic, emphatic and climactic, featuring incredible tension and atmosphere with stunning guitar work and even a piano solo! And to be honest, that’s all I’m gonna say ’bout ‘A World That’s Departed’ – you’re gonna have to listen to it for yourselves and be marvelled (just like me) by how fucking extraordinary it is! ‘Born Out Of Time’ brings the album to a mellow close, ‘Mechanics Of Predacity’ at its mellowest – for just the first minute only! And then an explosive turn of power and pace sends ‘Born Out Of Time’ rocketing forth at a phenomenal speed, furiously rocking heads back and forth, sending the worldwide mosh pits into fucking overdrive! What a superb ending to a superb album – a definite contender for this years Album Of The Year award.

Overall, an immensely melodious one hour of heavy metal, featuring the bands strong progressive and power metal leanings.

TRACKLIST

For What Is Owed To Us
Let The Nightmare Come
I Want The Darkness To Stop
Let It Burn
Can We Be Heroes Again
Crown Of Thorns
Obsessions Of The Mind
Build The Silence
A World That’s Departed
      I. About To Reset
      II. Absentia
      III. A Final Sense Of Truth
Born Out Of Time

http://www.lordsofblack.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Lords-Of-Black-745659882125260/

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