Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold | soundsfromthedarkside

Sacred Outcry - Towers of Gold Greece’s Sacred Outcry returns with Towers of Gold, their first new album in three years. Is it good? Well yes, yes it is.

Back in 2020, Greek power metallers Sacred Outcry released Damned for All Time, which promptly turned out to be one of the genre’s top albums of the year. The material was epic yet to the point, the musicianship stellar and session vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast in Black) is, of course, one of the best singers in the genre. Three years and a couple of line-up changes later, the band releases Towers of Gold and once again, it looks like we’ve got one of the best power metal albums of the year on our hands.

Truth be told, I was already sold after the acoustic intro Through Lands Forgotten (At the Crossroads of Fate), with its crystal clear guitar sound and Daniel Heiman (Lost Horizon) taking over vocal duties from Papadopoulos. The entire thing lasts little over two minutes but really sets the right mood; great things are to come. Towers of Gold comes crashing out of the gates properly with The Flame Rekindled (Lurid Lights and Drunken Revelry), a ripping metal song that ticks all the right boxes. Featuring speedy riffing, rolling double bass drums, soaring vocals and flashing solos, it’s a real masterclass of how to do epic, non-cheesy power metal properly. The Voyage (Towards Immortality) continues in that vein, its melodies lodging itself into your brain after two spins, including the fantastic guitar harmonies halfway through.

It’s fantastic stuff, helped by a clear, crisp production that gives every single element the room to shine, and Towers of Gold greatly benefits from it. Instead of being a completely plastered wall of sound, there is room for white noise in between the metallic onslaught. It also helps that a number of songs have slower intros (Symphony of the Night (The Curse of the Blind)) or middle sections where the tempo changes to give both the music and the listener some room to breathe. Towers of Gold is a well-paced album that flows well, with a well thought-out track listing that does wonders in both keeping your attention and not feeling either overlong or overwhelming.

Sacred Outcry 2023

The amount of confidence Sacred Outcry exudes on Towers of Gold is impressive. Every single note, every melody, every harmony, every vocal line; they’re all exactly spot on. There is not one moment where you’d suddenly sit up and wonder why on earth that just happened. It’s stellar songwriting all over the board, culminating in the fifteen minute epic title track complete with eastern melodies and chanting, a ton of tempo changes and (digital) choirs. Extra credit goes to Heiman, whose vocal delivery throughout the entire album is outstanding. From the gruff lows to the insane highs, he brings it all with passion and gusto and elevates Towers of Gold to an even higher level.

If you’re into symphonic power metal that’s high on epic melodies and strong songwriting but low in the lactose department, you owe it to yourself to check out Sacred Outcry’s Towers of Gold (and check out its predecessor as well whilst you’re at it). It is without a doubt one of the highlights the genre has to offer this year, and might even be the best power metal album of 2023. It’s that good.

Label: No Remorse Records

Buy it here: https://sacredoutcry.bandcamp.com/album/towers-of-gold

Track listing: