Towers of Gold
Daniel Heiman gives Towers of Gold a voice to match the scale of its music. He can sing with enormous force, but the movement between power and quieter passages makes his contribution especially convincing. Sacred Outcry build a dark, weighty power metal album around him. The band takes its time developing atmosphere and tension.
That does not mean a lack of pace. After the opening, The Flame Rekindled pushes hard with sharp guitars and a vocal line that quickly reaches great heights. The melodies have a solemn quality, while the rhythms carry enough weight to make the fantasy setting feel solid. Keyboards and orchestral layers expand the sound without pushing the guitars into the background.
The slower material gives the record much of its character. Symphony Of The Night develops its tension gradually. The Sweet Wine Of Betrayal moves into a heavier, darker mood and gives Heiman room to do more than impress with his range. Its quieter melodies hold their ground beside the larger vocal moments. That brings emotion to the story without requiring you to follow every lyrical detail.
The title track brings many of these ideas together over almost fifteen minutes. Heavy riffs, melodic guitar parts and quieter sections form an ambitious build. Every transition is not equally smooth. Sometimes the singing carries a passage that offers fewer instrumental surprises, and the smaller interludes do not all maintain the same level of interest.
Even so, Towers of Gold is much more than a showcase for an excellent singer. The warm production and the shifts between speed and slower, heavier passages give the whole band room to contribute. Sacred Outcry make power metal for listeners who enjoy spending time inside an album. It asks for some patience and offers plenty of strong melodies and convincing performances in return.
