The Third Age Of The Sun ... not so gloomy ... (sigh)

The one thing I noticed on Battlelore's 3rd album "Third Age Of The Sun" is the more raw edge of the guitars and more melody. There appears to be more female vocals as well. This albums sound is more like their first album and does what the 2nd album didn't. It's catchy and the songs are better written and more memorable. The album blasts into the listener after a short narrative with "Storm Of The Blades". It's got great riffing and hooks you in right off the start. "Trollshaw" continues that trend, just plain heavy. "Gwaith-i-Mirdain" and "Valier-Queens of The Valar" have a nice female vocal folky mix with the dark edge of death metal growls. "Elves of Luva" is the slow folky song along the same vein as "The green maid" off their first album.

What I noticed with this album (and if I remember correctly the 2nd as well) is the lack of clean male vocals. Perhaps that's what bothered me most on "Sword's Song". The doomy goth feel is all but gone and that's one of the best parts of their debut album. Ahhh ... C'est la vei (I think that's french for - There is always "Journey to Undying Lands...").
But I think "Third Age ..." finds Battlelore accepting this change and working with it better. The album has a more brutal sound than the first, and has touches of doom on songs like "Pallano-Forgotten Wizards Pt.1". The keyboards make for nice ambience.

I should make note of the bonus track "Dwimmerlaik". This song has a rather techno feel. It's a good song, but where "Shadowgate" of the first album bridged the industrial style, this song is definitely techno influenced (probably why it's a bonus track). Lastly I wanted to mention the song "Gollum's Cry". A nice effort musically, vocally it is weak and let's face it ... cheesy. I was rather disappointed here, cause I was looking forward to this song since I found out the album was coming.

So after my mild disappointed with "Sword's Song", "Third Age Of The Sun" picks up again and says "...uhhh sorry about that, this is what we meant". So that is all for my Lord Of The Rings theme ... seriously this time. Later there will be more Summoning (Oath Bound is now available!) and Rivendell (If I can get my hands on Falagar's 3rd release!). Coming up next is a journey through the Mythical history of Atlantis as vocally brutalized by Alex Krull and the bone crushing symphony that is Atrocity.