Released on: 15th June 2018
Battleroar. I’m going to be completely unironic here: I’ve never heard of them before. And it is not because the market for heavy metal, power metal, is over saturated with cheese so mature it could kill a small creature with majestic green tendrils of stink. Nope. It is probably because like most people I tend to find a band and and obsess over them. Sadly Battleroar is just another victim drowned in the floods of musical EPICNESS.
Battleroar have been around for a while now and if this album, their fifth and which also unironically is called Codex Epicus, is a measure of creativity then these guys are dripping, dropping heavy metal awesomeness like a waterfall during a monsoon. With the most notable feature being how well it is composed.
The structure of Codex Epicus develops through coherent melodies and firm rhythms and so it does at least contain some parts of Epicis Epicus. You have to appreciate a band that are honest in their claims.
Captured, contained and artistically controlled the EPIC in Codex Epicus is entwined with the albums core. Rearing its pretty face frequently through the dynamics created by the ever evolving and multi-dimensional aspects of the group. Again this can be attributed to the poignant structure given to the riffs but that is not due to science, there is too much passion in these songs for them to be EPIC by numbers.
Battleroar are commanding a might army of diverse riffs into the unknown. A brave and inspired album Codex Epicusis both dashing and daring. A beautiful and endearing heavy metal record that weaves an intriguing tale. Using music as the modus operandi of a mighty story. But without knowing to turn it up you might miss its neat idiosyncrasies.
Battleroar? More like BattleSCORE.
10/10
