The customary symphonic opener Into the Terrorvortex of Hor-Virliath is typical of the genre. It must be decreed somewhere that symphonic and power metal albums must open with a short instrumental piece to help 'set the tone', and Gloryhammer's third is no different. It is short and sweet, with a gloriously over-the-top spoken word section that leads into the first metal anthem of the album - The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust). The song opens up fast, with punchy, staccato drumming from Turk and soaring gothic choirs that really establish that old-school symphonic metal vibe. Winkler is a great singer, with a little more grit in his voice than many of his peers - something which allows Gloryhammer to feel a little heavier. The neo-classical guitar style that often fills these sort of albums is largely absent here, with Templing instead going for a tougher, riffier approach throughout. This suits Winkler's voice perfectly, and the screeching verses here are a perfect example. The song's chorus is unsurprisingly strong too, although perhaps not as soaring as some of the efforts that come later. The gang vocals are satisfyingly catchy however, and it is clear that the song will go down well live as a result. A short, shredded guitar solo showcases Templing's more traditional heavy metal approach to guitar playing, while Bowes' synths surround everything in a great halo of retro melody. Masters of the Galaxy is more of a mid-paced track, with some Judas Priest-esque guitar riffing and some excellent keyboard melodies early on that peel out of the speakers in a flurry notes. The song in general is strong, but the best part for me is the chorus. Is the first truly melodic feast of the album in my opinion, and sees Winkler use the smoother end of his voice for an almost AOR-esque delivery. This is a contrast to his verse lines, which often see him pushing himself to the higher end of his register for some jagged high notes, as well as some pseudo-harsh vocals to add a heaviness here and there. This is a song that really showcases Winkler's talents and diversity. Many of the other songs here allow the other members of the band to show off a little, but this is a tune that has clearly been written to force huge vocal melodies out of the speakers, and it certainly succeeds. The Land of Unicorns opens with a fast-paced guitar riff from Templing, augmented by some excellent keyboard stabs. In many ways the song sounds like it might have been leftover from an Alestorm writing sessions - if the spacey synths were replaced with fake accordions that is! Usually there is not that much crossover between Gloryhammer and Bowes' 'main' band, but this is a song that certainly sounds a little like Alestorm - especially the band's earlier work. The main riffs and verses have that folk metal feel, but the chorus is more akin to the band's traditional sound, with smooth vocal melodies and fantasy-inspired lyrics. I particularly like Templing's guitar solo here, as well as Bowes' keyboard solo, as they both are fast-paced by still packed full of memorable little licks and melodies - as opposed to just being a mess of notes.
Power of the Laser Dragon Fire is one of the faster songs here, with some driving double bass drumming from Turk from the off, and duelling guitar and keyboard leads to create a chaotic, yet melodic, intro. The pace never really lets up throughout the piece, with pacey verses following with Cartwright's bass dominating. The bass never really gets to shine generally on symphonic and power metal albums, so it is nice to hear Cartwright driving everything forward for a moment here. His moment in the spotlight is short-lived however, as it is not too long before crunchy guitar rhythms and dancing synths join the fray once again. The chorus is very similar to the previous song's one actually, with a similar rhythm and melody. There are plenty of excellent choruses throughout this album, but this couple are some of the weaker ones in my opinion. Nearly every other song on the album comes packed with an anthemic one however, so the band should be a let off having a couple of less-interesting ones! Legendary Enchanted Jetpack, which sounds like an item you could find in an online RPG, is another pacey number, with a keyboard-heavy intro and a galloped verse with some excellent higher vocals from Winkler. It is songs like this at which Gloryhammer really excel in my opinion. There is no restraint at all shown here, with Winkler going all out vocally and everything in the band really pulling out all the stops. The song's chorus is one of their best on the album in my opinion, with smooth vocal lines, catchy wordless sections, and a cinematic keyboard backing that really help it to shine. It is all made to sound to so effortless however, and as it floats out of the speakers you feel as if you are piloting the said jetpack! The band's self-titled song is up next, and this is clearly an anthem that they have been trying to write for a while. I can see this one being a setlist staple for the remainder of their career now, with the simple chorus made for a crowd to sing along to and a heavier overall feel that is sure to get a few heads nodding live. Templing's guitars really drive the piece, and it is great to hear them unleashed a little. While his playing is all over the album, he often has to compete with the keyboards - something which helps to cement the band's epic sound. This song is a little more stripped-back at times however, which allows his big riffs to really shine. A guitar and keyboard trade-off solo section towards the end is the icing on the cake, and shows that the band can compete with even of the top prog metal bands when it comes to flurries of notes. Hootsforce ups the cheese factor somewhat, with lots of poppy synths mixed in with tougher metal rhythms. The rhythm throughout has quite a strong groove, meaning this will be the band's new 'dancing' song. They have written songs like this before, and they always go down well live because they are made for movement. It helps that the song also has a strong chorus, but it is actually the little gang-vocal section following the main chorus that really grabs me. This part has some of my favourite keyboard melodies on the album, showcasing Bowes' talents on the synths. This is fun song, and one that is easy to latch on to - and I can already see those plastic swords and horned-helmets being waved aloft at the band's future shows!
Battle for Eternity feels like more of a mid-paced tune, despite some double bass drumming early on, and overall the song is somewhat more cinematic than the rest of the album. The verses have quite a spacey feel, with Winkler's voice often backed with just drums and synths - with the stringed instruments joining in towards the end as the choruses approaches to add some power. Jens Johansson (Yngwie Malsteen's Rising Force; Dio; Stratovarius; Rainbow) adds his talents to the song with an excellent keyboard solo part-way through. Bowes' keyboards are great throughout the album, but when it comes to power metal keyboards there are few better than Johansson and his CV speaks for himself. It is great to hear him contribute to a Gloryhammer album after the band supported Stratovarius a few years ago - meaning the two bands must have had fun on the road together. This aside however, the song is probably one of the least-interesting here. I do like the cinematic approach, but melodically the song is lacking compared to many of the others here in my opinion. The album's final song is the lengthy, multi-part The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny. Gloryhammer, like Rhapsody of Fire before them, like to end their albums with a lengthier, more progressive piece and this one might be their best effort and that format so far. There are soaring melodic moments, heavier moments, and moments that help to further the album's overall concept with more of the silly voice overs that have featured throughout. The third portion of the song in my opinion is particularly strong, and almost feels like a stand-alone song in its own right. It opens with a jaunty riff, backed up with some excellent keyboard work, before things really take off with some soaring Winkler vocals and more over-the-top spoken word sections. As the song moves towards a close, things start to get more epic. The pace is slowed somewhat, and Winkler starts to employ a dramatic delivery - only for Turk to start to lay into his double bass drums as Templing starts a shredding solo. It is a song with many twists and turns, with little progressive touches that set it apart on a songwriting perspective with the rest of the album. It shows that the band can do epic pieces just as well as the veterans of the genre and, despite being something of a parody, are the worthy successors to Rhapsody of Fire. As the song fades out the listener is treated to the oh-so-familiar sound of the dial-up noise - something which I am not sure I really needed reminding of! Overall, Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex is another strong effort from Gloryhammer, and one that cements them as a big hitter in the symphonic power metal world. While tongues are firmly in cheeks here, this is an album that is packed full of strong melodies, and will only help to raise the band's profile which is rising by the year.
The album was released on 31st May 2019 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Hootsforce.
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