PHAËTHON
“Wielder Of The Steel”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Phaëthon are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 2020, releasing the bands debut E.P. ‘Sacrifice Doth Call’ later the same year, and debut full length album ‘Wielder Of The Steel’ in 2024…

…featuring eight songs of rough, tough, traditional heavy metal with touches of thrash, black and death metal! For forty two minutes the band pummel and probe listeners with a brand of metal that fans of such luminary bands as Bathory, Cirith Ungol and Mercyful Fate will simply adore! Founded by vocalist/guitarist Vrath, the bands line-up is completed by co-founder, bass player Aees, guitarist Decado, and drummer Oskarath – Phaëthon hitting the ground running with album opener ‘Eternal Hammerer’. And one helluva boisterous bombardment of every thing heavy the black, death and traditional metal genres have to offer, the band bludgeoning listeners with a raw sounding onslaught of growling, howling heavy metal! And on the evidence of just the opening song, I get the feeling this is gonna be one hell of a heavy hitting album – any listeners who suffer from constant headaches should stock up on pain killers now! And I mean right now – for Phaëthon continue the albums uncompromising start with the heavier, more mid tempo ‘Vanguard Of The Empire’. Shuddering the ground it marches on, ‘Vanguard Of The Empire’ brutally batters everyones ears with venomous intent!

In 2006, legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden delivered ‘For The Greater Good Of God’ (on their album ‘A Matter Of Life And Death’), and now eighteen years later, Phaëthon deliver the opposite ‘For The Greater Good Of Evil’. Okay okay, I hear ya, I know it’s not quite the opposite – the Devil being the opposite of God, and “good” the opposite of “evil”, but for the purposes of my review it’s close enough! The band ride the traditional heavy metal gallop here, planting one “foot on the monitor” to adopt the iconic metal pose, every listener, fan and follower raising their clenched fists high and punching the air in delight! Yet the snarling vocal growl from the bands singer Vrath retains the albums overall rough and tough nature, ‘Tolls Of Perdition’ bringing a menacing feel to the fore! A menacing feel straight from Slayer’s ‘South Of Heaven’ era, Phaëthon strolling on with just a hint of a fiery foot stomp! The variation on offer across ‘Wielder Of The Steel’s first half has been very wide, I wonder how much wider the second half will be! Well no need to wonder for too long, ‘Blasphemers’ enters the fray, bringing with it raw energy and an electrifying upturn in pace, but only after a forty five second tension fuelled lead in! The band are at their fastest here, vigorously rocking heads back and forth to send the worldwide mosh pits into overdrive!

And bringing anthemic thunder to the front and centre of ‘Wielder Of The Steel’, ‘Forgotten Gods’ features the mighty metal stomp alongside the bands root rough and tough torrent of heavy hitting metal, Phaëthon continuing to vary the ongoing sonic assault – an assault that’s not over just yet, there’s still two more songs to come! The first of which ‘Phaëthon Must Fall’, returns the sound of classic heavy metal to the fore, the band once again planting their foot firmly on the monitor. But as with every song on the album, the band’s blend of thrash, black and death metal keeps ‘Wielder Of The Steel’ straddling a number of genres to attract a very wide audience – an audience that’s been hooked from minute one! And to end the album, Phaëthon deliver the longest song on offer, the nine and a half minute long title song ‘Wielder Of The Steel’. Throwing everything the band have in their arsenal at listeners, ‘Wielder Of The Steel’ (the song) builds from a mellow stroll to a thundering gallop and finally blistering speed!

Overall, rough, tough and gruff heavy metal with thrash, black and death metal influences, Phaëthon straddle genre boundaries from start to finish.

TRACKLIST

Eternal Hammerer
Vanguard Of The Emperor
For The Greater Good Of Evil
Tolls Of Perdition
Blasphemers
Forgotten Gods
Phaëthon Must Fall
Wielder Of The Steel

https://phaethon.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/phaethonband

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

---