PHOEBUS THE KNIGHT
“Chronicles: The Cursed Lord”
E.P. Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Phoebus The Knight are a symphonic power metal band from France formed in 2020, releasing the bands debut album ‘Ferrum Fero Ferro Feror’ in 2023. And just six months later, the band are back with a new E.P. ‘Chronicles: The Cursed Lord’…

…a second offering of symphonic metal majesty and operatic overtures! Phoebus The Knight are one of a kind – the bands sound dominated by the incredible voice of lead singer Axel De Montalembert. Displaying the lowest vocal range of all voice types, Axel’s bass style is normally associated with classical music, but here it is, in all its proud glory, fronting a metal band. And what a band – Phoebus The Knight featuring Axel as lead singer, guitarists Adrien Djouadou (Hartlight) and Adrien Guingal, bass player Noemie Allet (Hartlight), and drummer Guillaume Remih – with Noemie taking a more prominent vocal role this time out.

The new E.P. is part of a series of E.P.’s under the headline title ‘Chronicles’ – as the band explains “the E.P.’s will tell side stories of the Phoebusverse that will deepen the lore and the understanding of the main narrative arc told in the albums. ‘The Cursed Lord’ tells the story of the fight between our heroes, Phoebus and the knights of Heliopolis, against the Lord Gilles de Rais who has gone mad and is doing terrible things to his land and his people. An air of black magic is floating onto the land of Rais and the knights are coming to put an end to the horrors unfurling there”. So with the story unveiled, all you need now is a bottle of champagne, prosecco, or sparkling water (for I appreciate not everybody drinks), a range of snacks and nibbles, and some ice cream…

…and get ready for the next performance by Phoebus The Knight. For this E.P. just like the bands debut album, is a performance – a masterclass of operatic sensations, high tension levels, and a jaw dropping array of symphonic metal majesty. The E.P. gets underway with the title song ‘The Cursed Lord’, and immediately we’re treated to a sensational crescendo of dramatic proportions, the first minute or so a wall of impending anticipation! And when ‘The Cursed Lord’ gets going proper, the blend of symphonic with traditional heavy metal is just sublime. It’s like the bands debut album was act one, with this E.P. act two – a much bigger and bolder second act, with the emphatic majesty of ‘Ferrum Fero Ferro Feror’ doubled! No, trebled! Hell no, quadrupled!

Four of the five songs on offer exceed the six minute mark, with the shortest song ‘The Black Dungeon’ clocking in at just five! Yet despite its shorter length, it’s no less dramatic, featuring a cinematic mid tempo thunder and the introduction of female vocals courtesy of Noemie. Not content to be just another symphonic metal band, Phoebus The Knight are breaking new ground, taking the symphonic metal tag to new heights, reaching far beyond the skies into outer space to infinity and beyond! And with such a unique voice as lead singer Axel’s setting the band apart from their contemporaries, everything Phoebus The Knight do, are doing, and will do, is all brand new! ‘Surrounded By Darkness’ opens in a heavenly hymn-like fashion, the band accelerating to an old school gallop, slowing like a progressive metaller, yet retaining all the elements of what makes symphonic power metal so fucking irresistible! You’re definitely gonna have to listen more than just the once to fully comprehend what the band have achieved here – terms like cinematic, operatic and emphatic are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing the bands sound. I’m off to get my thesaurus – back in a minute…

…okay, here we go! The unmistakeable sound of Phoebus The Knight is a potent blend of dynamic orchestration, every song brimming with passion and oozing with zest! ‘The Tears Of Rowena’ is mellower than everything else on offer, featuring a soaring vocal performance from Noemie. A vocal performance that’ll have angels quaking on their clouds as Noemie’s voice reaches incredible heights. And the musical backdrop of hymn-like majesty melded with anthemic authority is simply outstanding, projecting an image of a solo stage performance in one of the biggest productions in the world! Ever! That is until the next (and final) song on the E.P. – a metal opera version of ‘The Tears Of Rowena’. And incredibly, the band improve on something I thought couldn’t be improved upon! I’m almost speechless here, transfixed by the sheer enormity of it all! There really is no more to be said right now, apart from superb. 

Overall, an outstanding performance from Phoebus The Knight, taking symphonic power metal to new heights of excellence.

TRACKLIST

The Cursed Lord
The Black Dungeon
Surrounded By Darkness
The Tears Of Rowena
The Tears Of Rowena (metal opera version)

https://phoebustheknight.fr/
https://www.facebook.com/phoebus.the.knight/

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