Battle Born's 'Blood, Fire, Magic and Steel' - Album Review

On this blog over the years I have mentioned quite a few times that the UK has never really been a hotbed of power, symphonic, and progressive metal. The fact that I have always said this in the context of a review of a melodic metal band from the UK, which may suggest that the statement is not as true as it sometimes appears to be, has become a little bit of a personal joke over the years - but I still agree with the sentiment. It is just the truth that, in general, power, symphonic, and progressive metal is not significantly liked or created in a significant way here in the UK. A few foreign bands have cracked the UK market, with Nightwish and Sabaton standing out as being arena headliners here, but many bands who routinely play multiple large club-sized shows in other European countries have to make do with a mid-week one-off show at The Underworld in Camden here in the UK. This is a shame, but there is just not the audience for such bands here - so it is always a treat when a melodic metal band from the UK get some attention. There are likely more such bands than I am aware of, but the latest UK-based power metal band which has been getting some attention is the Southampton-based five-piece Battle Born. The band formed back in 2018, and released a self-titled EP in 2020, but I first become aware of them last year - when they played a show at The Underground in Plymouth. I actually became aware of the show as the Bristol-based symphonic metal band Control the Storm were also on the bill, so I discovered Battle Born somewhat by default - and as tickets to the show were extremely cheap I decided to make the short walk from my house up to Mutley Plain to check the bands out. Sadly I was one of only around 20 people who decided to do so, but Battle Born did not let this deter them - and they put on a strong showing. Whilst I have moved away somewhat from power metal of the deliberately cheesy variety over the years, it was hard not to get swept along with Battle Born's sweeping synths, shredded solos, and anthemic choruses. I think that it is fair to say that their music is nothing that most power metal fans will not have heard before - but I think that the band are aware of this and somewhat play up to it. Their music is created by and for a certain type of power metal fan, and it excels in that regard. After establishing themselves over the past few years, then, the band's first big milestone arguably took place last month - when they released their debut album Blood, Fire, Magic and Steel. 2020's EP was self-released, but Blood, Fire, Magic and Steel has been released through Prosthetic Records - and was partly recorded in Germany with Orden Ogan frontman Sebastian Levermann, who has become a sought-after studio hand in recent years, partially producing and fully mixing the album. Working with Levermann is a big coup for a band as early in their career as Battle Born are - but the result is an album that sounds the business, and one that bristles with all of the bells and whistles that are expected when it comes to power metal of this ilk.

There is very little true variety here, so the album kicks off as it means to go on. This may sound like a criticism, but it is not intended to be one really - as Battle Born's core sound impresses from the off. Wind Caller does fade in slowly, though, with the sound of the wind giving way to some grand synth and choral lines - before a soaring guitar lead from Will Kerr comes in, and the song speeds off. The album often operates at higher speeds, with drummer Charles Lamacraft-Perrett regularly laying into his double bass pedals. This is typical of power metal, and Wind Caller is very true to that sound. The guitars of Kerr and Tom O'Dell tend to chug away with the fast-paced drums, whilst the synths (also handled by Kerr) create a dramatic backing. Frontman Jack Reynolds has an engaging voice, and he stamps his authority on the song from the off. Whilst he might not have the range of the genre's best singers, his voice is generally full of character - and he is able to hit the occasional higher note when needed. The verses here see him setting out his stall - before the first of a number of big choruses showcases the band's slightly symphonic edge with a strong choral backing and plenty of fists-in-the-air moments. It is a strong song, but I feel that Dragon Heart, which follows, is better. Whilst the band has a symphonic side, they also use more futuristic-sounding synths at times - and Dragon Heart's intro is filled with them. The overall pace is a little slower this time, which allows it to feel heavier. The song is crunchier overall, with a memorable opening riff that creates a strong rhythm in unison with a hooky drum pattern. Despite this crunch, the synths still tend to dominate throughout. The verses feel a little more stripped back, despite a strong drum presence, whilst the chorus is bigger overall - with dancing synths backing Reynolds and a tight harmony vocal arrangement. I sometimes feel that power metal of this ilk looses a bit of its edge due to its reliance on synths, but Dragon Heart balances the guitars and the synths nicely - with a few riff-led sections sitting side-by-side with the song's synth-led verses and chorus. Blood and Fire is more guitar-centric, though. The synths are present throughout, but they generally create a atmospheric bed for the rest of the band this time - with the riffing of Kerr and O'Dell driving everything. Crunchy moments up the heaviness between each section of the song - whilst the opening guitar leads soar and aid the song's overall fast and epic-sounding arrangement. Double bass drumming kicks the song along, with both the verses and the chorus benefitting from Lamacraft-Perrett's fast footwork - but the chorus makes great use of choirs and dramatic synths to add a grand depth. A snappy, shredded guitar solo makes Kerr's presence felt, too, and the song shines due to its slightly heavier arrangement and focus on guitar riffs and leads.

Power Force shares more similarities with Dragon Heart than anything else heard so far, but there is also more guitar weight here, too. The song makes use of more futuristic-sounding synths, and there are plenty of effects on Reynolds' voice throughout the verses to create a bit of a robotic sound. The song is driving by a strong opening guitar lead, which resurfaces throughout, but in general it is the vocal hooks and the synth choices which make the song memorable. The band have certainly taken a lot of influence from Beast in Black here - as the overall mid-paced groove is similar to the Finnish band's core sound - whilst the reliance on futuristic synths adds an edge which brings the crunchy mid-paced song to life. The foot-stomping chorus is one of the album's hookiest moments, and the guitarists make sure that they are not left behind with a couple of shredded solos amongst the robotic grooves and vocal lines. When Empires Die returns to a more traditional power metal sound. The double bass drums once again dominate during sections of the song, and it opens with a flashy keyboard melody that grows in stature slowly before the rest of the band crash in. Whilst the chorus is fast-paced, and heroic in tone with Reynolds' big vocal hooks and some subtle gang vocals, the verses are actually a bit more stripped back - with crunchy guitar chugs, subtle keyboards, and a more prominent bass presence from session player Ethan Bishop (Matt Hudson has since joined the band as their bassist on a permanent basis). This bass presence gives the song more weight, and it also allows the song to feel a bit heavier. The verses stomp along as a result, before exploding into the epic chorus - which captures that big power metal sound perfectly. Throw in a shredded solo-off between the keyboards and the guitars, and the song is one of the album's standout cuts in my opinion. The Endless Grey then slows everything down, and acts as the album's ballad. Ballads are often popular in power metal and there are a number of good examples, but, in all honesty, I am not a huge fan of Battle Born's effort here. Swirling synths and some classical-sounding acoustic guitars create a bed for Reynolds' voice - and I actually think it is the vocals here which let the song down for me. Reynolds generally does a good job throughout the album, but The Endless Grey highlights his relative lack of range - and I feel that he does not quite manage to tap into the emotional well needed to sing ballads with conviction. It feels a bit forced in my opinion, and the song lacks the gravity that all good power metal ballads have as a result. The chorus sounds better, though, thanks to some well-used choral vocals, but it is not enough in my opinion to save what is really the only true misstep here. Fire Storm gets the album back on track, though, and ups the pace again with more double bass drumming and a dancing synth intro. The song is nothing that has not already been heard on the album, but the snappy vocal hooks make it stand out - and, whilst the song is still epic-sounding, there is also a relative simplicity to the main motifs. The main guitar riff is crunchy and old-school sounding, with a synth line backing it nicely, whilst the choral and gang vocals add wordless vocal accents - and contribute nicely to Reynolds' strong vocal performance. Another shredded guitar solo adds a further burst of old-school metal to the song, and helps to get things back on track after the limp ballad.

Down Your Drinks and Raise Your Swords is the latest entry in the long-standing song category of power metal drinking anthems. These tend to be some of my least favourite power metal songs in general, but this one is not as idle as some other examples - and has more of a battle metal vibe overall with some folky melodies and shanty-esque vibes. The song reminds me of a more synth-heavy version of Turisas' first album, but Battle Born's effort at that style is less folky overall - despite those tones certainly being present. A flashy keyboard solo which later gives way to some driving synth stabs certainly sounds rather Turisas-esque - with the rest of the track generally being a relatively grand mid-paced rocker with bouncy vocal melodies and a bit of drunken wordless chanting for good measure. Meridia initially sounds like it is going to be another ballad thanks to its slow-burning keyboard intro, but the rest of the band soon crash in as the synth hook becomes more intense - and it soon sits, folkily, atop a crunchy mid-paced rhythm. The band have done faster songs, but there is still a fairly snappy rhythm whipped up throughout - albeit with more of a classic rock strut thanks to a slightly-groove based approach. The chorus ups the pace slightly, but it generally still feels fairly mid-paced - and it is brought to life by Reynolds' big vocal hooks, which are simple in tone but extremely hooky. It is a great track which injects some older sounds into the album - especially following the somewhat trite drinking song which it follows. Picking up the pace again, Ride North for Winterhold returns to the band's fast-paced core sound - and the result is another strong power metal anthem with driving double bass drumming as well as a somewhat gnarlier approach to guitar rhythms during the verses. The buzzsaw guitar approach really cuts through the mix, creating a strong sound and rhythm, before the chorus explodes with a flurry of melodic choral vocals, synths, and more snappy vocal melodies from Reynolds. The faster songs here are all generally punchy, but this one feels punchier than most - largely due to the tougher guitar rhythms throughout. There is plenty of weight to the song, although this is soon offset by a busy synth solo which adds plenty of melody. The album then comes to a close with Sky Guard You, which is a more mid-paced track - and one of the album's lesser cuts in my opinion. It has quite a dynamic arrangement, with slower sections sitting side-by-side with more typical metal sections - but this means that the issues I had with The Endless Grey resurface here in part. As much as I like Reynolds, in my opinion he is just not a ballad singer - and his high-octane whispered approach lacks the depth needed to bring slower sections to life. He excels during the song's heavier sections, which also have a strong synth hook backing, but the slower sections suffer overall. I like the attempt to create something more dynamic, but for me the song is not really pulled off - which is a shame as the album ends on a lower note despite the general quality shown throughout. Overall, then, Blood, Fire, Magic and Steel is generally a strong debut album from Battle Born. This band is still young and will no doubt develop further over the years, and I am looking forward to seeing how they progress. Despite having some reservations, the album is still a very enjoyable slab of upbeat power metal - and plenty of people will end up enjoying it if they give it a chance.

The album was released on 12th May 2023 via Prosthetic Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Blood and Fire.