ALBUM REVIEW: Field of Swords – Bloodbound
With more than twenty years behind them, and now releasing their eleventh studio album Field of Swords, Swedish band BLOODBOUND have been consistently releasing epic power metal every few years for fans of fantasy, history and all things larger than life. Field Of Swords sees the band tackle the Vikings of the middle ages. It’s a topic that is all too tempting for metal bands to gravitate to but it’s easy to understand why. Vikings are just simply heavy metal.
Field of Swords is an exemplary demonstration of classic power metal with all the hallmarks that make the genre what it is but with flawless production and scope to make it as grandiose as it’s possible to be. Right from the word go the album throws the listener into the thick of battle with the title track. Flashy guitar tapping, soaring synths and HELLOWEEN reminiscent lead vocals pull you into Field of Swords within the first minute. With a fittingly huge chorus it’s a strong statement of intent for the rest of the album.
The album leaves very little room for the listener to take a breath. Every track is full of energy and maintains a swift pace throughout and with seemingly each song trying to top whatever chorus came before, Land of the Brave and Light the Sky being clear highlights in that regard. The former having one of the most stirring moments on the album as Patrik on vocals cries “I will reach a new horizon, where honour previal” and the latter with a strong marching beat allowing its triumphant tone to be truly felt.
Rounding off the album with a bang the band are joined by the vocal mastery of Brittney Slayes of UNLEASH THE ARCHERS. It’s almost too easy to pick The Nine Crusades as the highlight of the album, but any song that features Slayes vocals is bound to stand higher than most. Patrik more than keeps up with her stratospheric vocals giving the album a true climatic final act.
Like most power metal releases at this point, the album doesn’t necessarily offer much in the way of innovation. Most songs on the album have a particular band one can point to that follows a similar vein. As Empires Fall is much darker, the choral chanting along to a marching beat on Pain and Glory screams SABATON, and the album in general has a real whiff of HELLOWEEN, only if their music was less fantasy and more Vikings.
That being said, the great strength of power metal is how it doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s a tried and true formula that simply wants to rouse the listener with big melodies and epic tales. This album has that in abundance. It may not bring much in the originality department but BLOODBOUND deliver a classic power metal album with expert proficiency and could potentially be one of the most entertaining albums in that vein all year.
Rating: 8/10
Field Of Swords is out now via Napalm Records.
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