What perhaps sets Theocracy apart from some of their peers is how guitar-driven they are for a power metal band. The flashy synths which tend to dominate the genre are not as prevalent here, but keyboards still add a lushness and an atmospheric depth to the album. No keyboard player is credited here, but given that Smith and Hinds have generally been responsible for keyboards in the past it is fairly safe to assume that they also handled them here. The album kicks off with Flicker, a relatively short song which sets the album's stall out early. It takes no time to get going, and Smith immediately starts singing against a knotty guitar riff - and this intro builds up quickly around his fast-paced vocal delivery before Topran's drums crash in and the band charge off at break-neck speed. This is very much a typical power metal piece, then, with lush synths providing plenty of depth, whilst the guitars of Washington and Hinds interlock for plenty of excellent riffs. At under four minutes in length, the song is not as expansive as some here - but it still crams a lot into its framework. Smith showcases his excellent set of pipes throughout, with a mix of frantic vocal lines and a more epic approach during the slower chorus. The band subtly harmonise with him throughout, but the focus is very much on Smith - with the guitars generally being more riffy than lead-based, with some hard-driving sections approaching thrash in intensity. Washington's first solo of the album shifts that focus, but like the rest of the song it is brief and to-the-point - but it introduces the fluid style which will become familiar as the album progresses. Anonymous follows Flicker, and the pace is reined in somewhat. The song is still on the faster side, but it feels more groovy overall - and there are some strong mid-paced moments to break up the sections which are more power metal in scope. The opening riff is very traditional metal in sound, and this crunchy groove returns occasionally throughout the song, whilst the chorus is faster overall - with a stronger keyboard presence and more of a choral vocal approach. Some power metal bands can sometimes feel a bit lightweight, but Theocracy never have that issue. They have plenty of crunch throughout this album - and Anonymous leans into this side of their sound thanks to the groovy approach to riffing and the hard-hitting drum performance of Topran. The hooks are still plentiful, though, and the chorus in particular is a winner with its mix of anthemic vocal lines and synth-based depth. Washington takes a lengthier solo this time, and his playing is more varied - which perfectly feeds into the slightly darker bridge section which follows. After two pretty hard-hitting songs, the album's title track opens more slowly - with some aching harmony guitar leads, before clean guitars take over and Smith starts to sing in a dynamic, breathy manner. The track is no ballad, though, but it does feel a bit less full-on than the opening couple of numbers - with more of a keyboard presence throughout, and a sound which recalls early Sonata Arctica a little thanks to the crunching guitar gallops which dominate and heavy focus placed on Smith's playful vocal melodies. There is still weight to the song, but it feels designed to be less heavy. Guitar leads are more prevalent, with a handful of melodic breaks, whilst the arrangement feels a bit more light and shade with some clean guitars often mixed in with the galloping and the aforementioned stronger keyboard presence. It does get heavier around Washington's solo, though, which adds further interest.
Sinsidious (The Dogs of War) returns to a heavier territory, and the piece opens with some dark-sounding riffing which soon gives way to a tougher-sounding instrumental section made up of a number of different riffs, occasional Mercyful Fate-esque guitar twists, and plenty of double bass drumming. Despite the darker tones which are present throughout the song, there is still plenty of the band's trademark power metal to be found. The synths are less present, but they add a gothic depth when needed, and the overall pace and Smith's vocals help the track to feel pretty melodic overall. Washington does add some additional vocals to the song, though, as he takes the lead during the strange-sounding pre-chorus. Whilst he is not adding harsh vocals, it feels as if the band wanted his darker, effects-heavy delivery to have that sort of impact - and his lower voice suits the tone of the pre-chorus, before Smith soars during the chorus which follows. The heaviness is welcome, though, following the previous song which was a little lighter in tone. One of Theocracy's strengths in my opinion is their ability to use light and shade so well in a power metal context, and this is a track with a bit more shade overall - but Washington's heroic solo and the soaring chorus certainly ensure that there is still a lot of melody. Return to Dust was the first song released online to promote the album a few months ago, so it is unsurprising that it is less knotty and much more hook-focused than some of the other cuts here. The song works well as a single, though, and it is certainly one of the most immediate on the album - with a huge mid-paced chorus and plenty of groove throughout. The riffing of Washington and Hinds is full of old-school 1980s metal power, whilst the bass playing of Oldham is often left to drive the song during the verses when the guitars briefly drop away. The chorus sees the keyboards taking on a more prominent role, and the amount of harmony vocals is very much in that early-2000s power metal mould. The song soars and is very hooky as a result, and it provides a nice change of pace after the heavier, darker song which preceded it. The Sixth Great Extinction returns to the more hard-driving sound that opened up the album, and it was one of the songs which really stood out to me on my first listen. It is perhaps not as furious as the album's first couple of songs, but it certainly feels like more of a hard-driving track than those which followed - with a strong mid-paced guitar-driven sound, and a simple main riff which often resurfaces throughout. The keyboards and harmony vocals are used more sparingly here, too, which allows the song to have plenty of crunch. Even the chorus does not lean into them too much, which gives the track a bit more of an organic feel. There is still an atmospheric depth, but it is not as prevalent - and the chorus feels more old-school as a result. Washington's guitar solo is knotty and feels rather progressive, too, particularly given the groove that it floats over, and other instrumental sections focus on heavy riffing to give the song further weight.
Deified picks up the pace again, and returns to a sound similar to how the album opened. The thrashy riffing of the opening song returns here, and the track is another shorter one which focuses on its pace and energy to get it over the line. Smith still soars vocally, but this is very much a song about the riffing of Washington and Hinds. Despite that, though, there is still a hooky chorus to be found - but Smith has less room to breathe thanks to the pace. I think he sounds better when he has more room to spread out, but these thrashier songs still sound powerful. Hinds takes the solo this time, and his neo-classical shredded approach works well given the song's speed. The Greatest Hope is the album's ballad, and it is also the album's shortest piece at just over three minutes. It largely just features Smith singing against a mixture of clean guitar melodies and distant piano - but the drums do join in towards the end to add some extra depth. It is one of those songs that works in the context of the album to provide a bit of a change of pace, but I am not sure it has enough to really stand on its own. Given the two lengthier songs which close out the album, though, the gentle song is welcome - and it really allows Smith to sing in a bit more of restrained way. Another real highlight on this album for me is the penultimate track Liar, Fool, or Messiah - which really roars out of the blocks following the gentle ballad. It is the second-longest piece here, but it has a great mix of the band's trademark styles - mixing heavy riffing in the song's opening with more melodic verses packed with keyboard depth. Whilst there have been progressive flourishes elsewhere on the album, they really rear their heads on this song and the next one. Arrangement-wise, this is the most complex piece on the album up to this point - and the amount of different riffs which are heard throughout gives the song its distinct character. The track also feels grander than most of what has come before. The keyboard depth and use of harmony and choral vocals is more prevalent here, and the song's chorus is one of the album's most instantly-recognisable moments thanks to this larger arrangement. Despite the song's complexity, the hooks are still massive - and the chorus is one of those that will stick in the brain long after the album finishes. There is also quite a lengthy instrumental section in the song, too, which includes a lot more excellent riffing from Washington and Hinds - before Washington launches into a lengthy guitar solo, which is suitably fast-paced given the song's hard-driving feel throughout.
The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Red Sea. At just over 19 minutes, it is one of the band's most epic songs - and it is unsurprisingly this album's most progressive piece. Early on, though, the song is pretty typical of the album up to this point - as it focuses on heavy, mid-paced crunchy riffing which Smith sings over in a gritty manner. The early parts of the song are pretty heavy and crawling, then, but things tend to get grander as it moves along - and the pace slowly increases, too. The first few verses are groovy and mid-paced, but as the instrumental mid-section is approached the song gains a bit more of an urgency, and the band's power metal vibes are put on display once again. The song operates in this manner for quite a time from this point, with the atmospheric backing getting more involved - and this section of the song comes to a close with a dramatic and choral rendition of a Bible passage, which sounds massive thanks to the layers of vocals and synths. This part then gives way to a lengthy instrumental section which builds up around the interlocking guitars and includes some great Middle Eastern melodies, befitting the song's lyrics, before Washington launches into a lengthy central solo which is easily his best and most involved of the album. It unfolds over many movements, and it fits into the song's wider mid-section perfectly. Once Smith starts singing again, the overall pace slows - and clean guitars take over. This slower vibe only continues for a brief time, though, as the rest of the song pretty upbeat - with Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies and some old-school power metal riffing, which Smith really soars over the top of. There is one last guitar solo, though, which Smith takes himself. He handled most of the instruments on Theocracy's early albums, so is a great guitar player in his own right - and his slow-burning guitar solo adds to the song's epic closing sections, and differs from the shredded approach taken elsewhere. This gives way to one last vocal-led section, which feels more cinematic in scope - and the song comes to a grand end, ending what has been a very strong album on a high. As this is my first proper foray into Theocracy, I have been very impressed with what I have heard. There are no real weak moments here, and the mix of knotty songwriting and hooks shines throughout. Theocracy are certainly a band whom I now intend to properly delve into, and they are recommended to any power metal fan who wants something a bit beefier.
The album was released on 13th October 2023 via Atomic Fire Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Return to Dust.
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