Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold

When true metal warriors in Sacred Outcry (origin: Greece) released their debut album, 2020’s brilliant “Damned For All Time”, it hit me sideways like nobody’s business. Taking their inspiration from classic epic heavy metal heroes like Warlord, Virgin Steele, Riot and early Manowar it was clear from the get go that Sacred Outcry would be a force to be reckoned with. With the phenomenal voice of Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast in Black, ex-Until Rain) fronting the band, it was clear that these guys knew exactly what they were doing and they would take no prisoners on their quest to reign the metal world.

Honestly, my heart sank when news came that the band lost its frontman since Yannis is one of my favorite singers out there. That slump was short lived though as a new record was on its way and none other than the mighty Daniel Heiman (Dimhav, ex-Lost Horizon) would handle the vocals on their second album, “Towers of Gold). We’re talking about a dude that can sing Crimson Glory’s “Red Sharks” without even breaking a sweat and truly do it justice.

The first listen was a weird one though. I had some issues with Heiman more or less constantly using his extreme high pitch voice and not when it was “needed”, if you get my drift. It took a couple of spins before I was onboard and I still think he slightly overuses that particular part of his register. But don’t get me wrong here, Heiman’s delivery on for instance “The Sweet Wine of Betrayal” is nothing short of miraculous. I mean, holy sharknadoes, the guy can sing! And by the third listen almost all my reservations towards the new vocalist was long gone.

Even though I consider myself as a Progressive Rock/Metal fan first and foremost, I was raised on a steady diet of early Iron Maiden, Warlord, Vicious Rumors, Riot and Crimson Glory before Dream Theater came along in the early 90s and opened a door to another musical realm. But I digress.

Sacred Outcry tick every single one of my boxes when it comes to Epic Heavy Metal. Fusing the melodic sense of Dio-era Rainbow and Tony Martin’s era in Black Sabbath with beautiful twin guitars working tirelessly and interweaving harmonies with Heiman’s brilliant vocal delivery. Furious opener “The Flame Rekindled (Lurid Lights and Drunken Revelry) reminds me of Riot’s phenomenal 1988 masterpiece, “Thundersteel”. It grips the listener by the throat and never lets go until the last seconds of “Where Crimson Shadows Dwell (And Ouroborous Dreamt)” has faded out.

Here I could basically list any of the ten songs that make up “Towers of Gold” but I’ll settle for a trio of songs that I heartily recommend that you, dear reader, listen to. First off we have the fantastic “Symphony of The Night” (also the title of one of the best hack’n’slash games on the Playstation 1 platform, Castlevania – Symphony of The Night is a must for everyone that has any interest in gaming) where Heiman shows off his enormous range and the band proves that they can play very dynamic as well as fast and furious (Ooooops!). Next in line is “The Sweet Wine of Betrayal (The Perennial Sin)” which is Sacred Outcry in their most Warlord-ish mood and it is just a thing of beauty, let me tell you!

Last but in no way, shape or form least is the gargantuan, Godzilla/Gamera-like behemoth that is the title track, “Towers of Gold (Tempus Redax Rerum)”. Rarely has 14 minutes gone by as quickly as this amazing song that will no doubt feature rather high on my Best of 2023-list. After a pompous intro, the songs starts off in full on, heavy metal galore with ripping guitar work, magnificent drumming and Heiman proving once and for all that if Crimson Glory would ever make a return, he is the guy to have behind he microphone as he can do Midnight’s (RIP) patented vocal delivery justice.

All in all, this is a must-have for all lovers of epic heavy metal.
Highly recommended!

Artist: Sacred Outcry
Album: Towers of Gold
Rating: 8/10
Label: No Remorse Records

https://sacredoutcry.bandcamp.com/album/towers-of-gold
https://www.instagram.com/sacredoutcry/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/SacredOutcry/

Tracklist:
1. Through Lands Forgotten (At The Crossroads Of Fate)
2. The Flame Rekindled (Lurid Lights And Drunken Revelry)
3. The Voyage (Towards Immortality)
4. Into The Storm (Beyond The Lost Horizon)
5. Symphony Of The Night (The Curse Of The Blind)
6. A Midnight Reverie (Whispers In The Wind)
7. The Sweet Wine Of Betrayal (The Perennial Sin)
8. The City Of Stone (The Burden Of The Crownless Kings)
9. Towers Of Gold (Tempus Edax Rerum)
10. Where Crimson Shadows Dwell (And Ouroboros Dreamt)