[Album artwork and concept by George Apalodimas]
There is a scene early on in the film Conan the Barbarian that centers around the death of Conan’s mother, Greshan, at the hands of Thulsa Doom, and it happens to be one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. The segment feels fairly stretched and noticeably gradual, and there are no words spoken by the characters inside those 3 minutes, which falls in line with director John Milius’ original vision for the movie as “an opera with little or no dialogue.” Given this, composer Basil Poledouris provides the full extent of the scene’s audible narrative, and the score presented is fittingly deliberate and designedly grievous, with the perfect touch of dramatic glow to further wither the heart. Doom and his cohorts have just finished sacking Conan’s village in hopes of securing more supplies and weapons, and Conan’s father, Corin, surrenders the iconic Atlantean sword upon his unfortunate death, which Doom then of course uses to free Greshan of her head. By the end, a young Conan is left to gape at his suddenly liberated hand, and Thulsa Doom coldly turns his back on the murder, thus laying the foundation for Conan’s next chapter and ultimately shaping him into the barbarian so many of us have come to admire today.
This is being thrown under the spotlight for two reasons. First, the scene in question, while ultimately quite brutal, is gentle and muted enough in its gradual unfolding that anyone in attendance as “an Arnold Schwarzenegger action fan, first and foremost,” might very well dismiss it because there is no camel punching or grand pectoral pageantry / blade juggling on display. Yet this crucial 3-minute stretch packs enough vital details regarding the full evolution of Conan himself, as well as his motivation as the narrative moves forward, that it should be viewed as the ultimate linchpin of the film—certainly something that merits undivided attention and in-depth reflection. In short, there is a deeper merit swirled into the details of Conan the Barbarian that belies the largely unremarkable scores offered by IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, but those of us who’d rank it much higher are likely Sword & Sorcery nerds who love nothing more than sussing out such details and are generally (and fully) obsessed with escapism. Oh, sweet, sweet escapism. Glory is splendidly woven into your details.
Greece’s Sacred Outcry understands the impact of triumph threaded into the details, as well as the perpetual virtue of escapism.
Sacred Outcry creates music tailor-made for fiends of boundless escapism, and their sophomore album, Towers of Gold, is a clarion call for any and all interested in a foundation built on the early / mid-80’s Metal Blade Records escapist bands, embellished further by the wildly imaginative, mythical realms of ’90s / early 2000s power metal from the likes of Blind Guardian, Virgin Steele, Rhapsody, Angra, and Domine.
Were you around for the splashdown of 2020’s Damned for All Time…? Sacred Outcry’s debut made significant waves around these parts back then, securing a notably positive review and the #1 spot in 2020’s power metal-focused best-of roundup, We Have the Power. The record was quite literally a textbook definition of the phrase “patience is often rewarded,” as the release took the better part of two decades to finally see the light of day, and the amount of effort required to finally deliver it to an audience could have fueled a trip up Mount Everest. It led to a magnificent consequence, though, even if its culmination also resulted in a closing of the chapter that included every member outside of principal architect / bassist George Apalodimas. It was a very natural and positive close to phase one, mind you, with Apalodimas already plotting the next stage by wisely assimilating sound engineer / production amigo Steve Lado as a full-time guitarist, netting the splashy drumming talents of Cerebrum’s Defkalion Dimos, and placating the sting of the Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast in Black) exit by recruiting one of the most explosively talented voices in all of power metal, Daniel Heiman (Dimhav, Warrior Path, Harmony, ex- Lost Horizon, ex-Heed, ex-Crystal Eyes).
Given Heiman’s lofty history with Lost Horizon, plus the reaffirmed glory recently realized through his fresh involvement with Dimhav and Warrior Path, I recognize the impact of the following statement: This is the most ideal union Daniel Heiman has found to date. Make no mistake, this man has never—on any album he’s ever been involved with—delivered anything short of a stellar performance, but that voice fits the overall aesthetic behind Towers of Gold so thoroughly that the end result feels vaulted to a new level. Heiman has long been celebrated for his remarkable 6 octave range and insanely acrobatic high notes, but there’s an unmistakable soulful sadness in his delivery as well, and that’s very well suited for Sacred Outcry’s brand of dark power metal and the emotional narrative at the heart of this release. So, while it remains to be seen if anyone ever (strong emphasis on that word) manages to pull off the vocal stunt-flying Heiman achieved 20-plus years ago through Lost Horizon, the stormy temperament and melodic sophistication heard throughout Towers of Gold carries his voice to new heights. Woe is the world that hasn’t had an opportunity to experience Daniel Heiman’s voice live from the stage more often than it has, for certain, but I do believe we’re weirdly blessed in that this misfortune has perhaps helped preserve his cords across two decades. The result: Heiman sounds absolutely phenomenal here. He hits insane heights (perhaps even new peaks) with perfect clarity and flair, and his more sorrowful tone gets ample opportunity to glow as the album’s tragic story slowly unfolds.
Similar to the band’s debut, Towers of Gold packs a hell of a lot of adventuring inside its 55 minutes, musically and in relation to its storyline. Writers such as Robert E. Howard, Le Guin and Moorcock are built into the band’s foundation just as deliberately as is Warlord, Manowar and Virgin Steele, and there’s enough going on inside this particular plot that the lyrics for each song also include a more in-depth elaboration inside the booklet under the secondary titles noted in parenthesis. So, yes, anyone who enjoys diving deeper into concept records by poring through the physical medium will find plenty to chew on—24 pages of liner notes, including credits, lyrics, and the more detailed saga spinning a foredoomed yarn concerning a heroic adventurer and his fated quest for glory.
Warlord continues to be a principal guiding star here, as Towers of Gold is similarly focused on a more… unhurried stride that underscores fluid melody and soaring vocals. The midpoint of the record emphasizes this face of the band most candidly, with “Symphony of the Night,” the brief and elegant “A Midnight Reverie,” and “The Sweet Wine of Betrayal” all accenting the way an incomparable record such as Deliver Us gradually dips and sways between mellowness and heaviness without ever losing sight of a notably poignant melody and lifting solo. Bill Tsamis always had a film score composer’s mindset when it came to his songwriting, and Apalodimas certainly follows suit, adding just the right amount of stormy orchestration to the corners here to give Towers of Gold an added edge of drama that damn-near borders on something as darkly triumphant as classic Emperor. And Steve Lado’s fretwork throughout the record… Let’s just say he conjures the spirit of Tsamis in a most successful manner.
There are other influences afoot, too, as Apalodimas has a wicked fondness for loading up on Easter eggs—some buried, others more in your face. The intro to the aforementioned “Sweet Wine of Betrayal” is the closest thing to “Defender” you can get without having to sit on Joey DeMaio’s lap atop a plastic-covered sofa. And when things get speedier (Ride the Lightning adjacent at times, even), not only is there an even more clear nod to Lost Horizon, but classic King Diamond flies across the radar as well. It’s in the way Steve Lado’s riffs charge like LaRocque circa ‘Them’ in “The Flame Rekindled” and the epic title track, it’s all over Dimos’ splashy Mikkey Dee cymbal play in “The Voyage,” and it’s tattooed up and down the multi-layered, ghostly tone of the highest notes belted out by Heiman.
There’s classic Rhapsody and Iron Maiden in the wind as well. For example, there are moments where Apalodimas’ bass governs the spotlight in a very “Steve Harris epic” sort of way, and it’s difficult to not think of Alex Staropoli and a song such as “Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness” when the title track here stretches to 15 minutes and bends and twists around every shade of triumph and tragedy like some lost Stravinsky symphony. Magnificent.
Honestly, the full picture of Towers of Gold can be rather overwhelming because of all the details stacked to the ceiling, but time and an eager ear will reveal a great many layers to dissect and enjoy, giving the release an enduring lifecycle that’s sure to stand the test of time. Sure, it’s still enjoyable on the surface as a more casual listen, but as anyone obsessed with escapism who’s versed in the explorations of, say, the Lands Between or Hyrule can confirm, the realm really opens up when you stop speeding through it on your Spirit Steed and take the time to walk and explore all the dark corners and brilliant panoramas. Solid description of you? Do you dive into 10 book escapist fantasy expanses such as Malazan Book of the Fallen with the unbridled thirst of a broiling pit fiend? Well, Towers of Gold should probably ping your radar. And if you’re an enduring fan of classic mythical metal and the darker side of epic power, and the idea of dissecting the potent impact of a strangely quiet 3-minute scene from a 40 year-old John Milius film concerning Cimmerians sounds like a great time… Well, get ready to experience one of the finest albums of the year so far.
Towers of Gold credits:
• Daniel Heiman – Vocals
• Steve Lado – Guitars
• Defkalion Dimos – Drums
• George Apalodimas – Bass
Guests:
• Jeff Black (Gatekeeper) – 12-string guitar on “Symphony of the Night” and “Where Crimson Shadows Dwell”
• Yorgos Karagiannis – acoustic guitars on “Through Lands Forgotten,” “Symphony of the Night,” and “A Midnight Reverie”
• Produced by George Apalodimas / mixed & mastered by Steve Lado at SL Studio
• Orchestral arrangements by George Apalodimas and Sapfo Lignou
I’m on the verge of tears here :_)
My most heartfelt THANK YOU for this amazing review.
We’re not worthy!
Apparently you are worthy. I believe last rites voted it the metal album of the year. All I’ve read are accolades for this piece of work. Congratulations
This album fucks.
I’ve gotta listen to any album where Malazan gets mentioned in the comments.
You could have just posted “DANIEL HEIMAN” and stopped the review right there. Everything the guy does is good if not great 🙂