ALBUM REVIEW: Reborn To Light – Aeon Gods
If you’re looking for some fantasy driven escapism of symphonic power metal that is steeped in mythology, then you can look no further than German outfit AEON GODS. Following on from their debut King Of Gods in 2024, Reborn To Light is a triumphant follow up that is a fun romp from start to finish. It’s not the most original sounding album you’ve ever heard, but it will scratch that niche genre you’re after with a fun amount of silliness that comes with these sorts of records. Reborn To Light brings in a fun amount of mythology that gives you a hankering for adventure and would work as a great soundtrack to a D&D campaign.
Reborn To Light wastes no time as it bursts into light with opening track Birth Of Light as we are met with a cavalcade of sound. Swirling guitars, thunderous blast beats and operatic vocals that are genuinely impressive shows this band operates to the nth degree to deliver their world of mythology that envelopes you as you listen that gives you a nostalgic feel of when you first discovered this sort of music. It never feels boring either and genuinely feels like you’re part of a story witnessing an ancient world of gods and monsters being born. Flames Of Ember Dawn continues to push your imagination, conjuring images of huge landscapes of Ancient Egypt inspired by a multitude of gods with some great vocal earworms that stick with you whilst listening to it. The gargantuan nature of this record is apparent upon discovering there is a four part story taking place in Amduat, the Ancient Egyptian netherworld, you truly feel like you’re part of a Lord Of The Rings scale sized world through a rich tapestry of storytelling.
Barque Of Millions (Amduat Part I) is a slow and brooding track full of chugging guitars alongside the ever present operatic nature of the record before building into an epic crescendo. The Sacred Union (Amduat Part II) takes us on a journey to the Netherworld and AEON GODS continue to perfectly immerse you in this world with a more sinister sound of gang vocals chanting and a wonderful sounding guitar chugs along that feels like you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil into what comes next (and that appears to be barrelling down a river alongside millions of souls from this world into the next).
The inspirations are worn on AEON GODS’ sleeve throughout this album as Part III of this story; Soldiers Of Re (Amduat Part III) bursts into life. It is easy to imagine a band like SABATON easily fitting into the slot to perform this as it looks at joining the army of Re. It is however the weakest part of this particular narrative but that doesn’t detract from the fun nature of the record. Part IV takes the form of Reborn To Light (Amduat Part IV) which picks up the pace and helps you conjure images of being in an enormous battle that results in you becoming reborn once again, whilst this is a fun track, it suffers the same effect as Soldiers Of Re (Amduat Part III) by running out of steam a little half way through. Feather Or Heart is a fun track that follows as it looks at what will determine your experience of the afterlife.
Another narrative is birthed that arrives in three parts looking at a cataclysmic event as the god of all, Re sees the end of his reign begin to end with Rebellion (Re’s Dying Reign Part I) sees people rising up against him to bring about his end. The musicianship shines through once more, incorporating a fun wailing guitar solo giving us an Egyptian style of music alongside harps that does have a godly feel to it. Part II takes the form of Blood and Sand (Re’s Dying Reign Part II), and another battle is conjured in your mind as it bruises through an epic desert battle soaked in blood once again as the music comes to sound more grandiose than you thought was possible. Part III reaches the album’s conclusion with Farewell (Re’s Dying Reign Part III) and as you expect, AEON GODS don’t hold back and end on a softer note, they give their all one last time as the conclusion of this story reaches its victorious end, resulting in a world reborn away from the tyranny of gods, which depending on what you believe in may not be such a bad thing.
Overall, Reborn To Light is a solid offering. AEON GODS clearly have found a niche that works for them and will appeal to many people. There are a few clunky moments but not enough for them to look at this album in a negative way. If you’re willing to fully immerse yourself in the narrative, you’re going to have a wonderful time. If not, then you will struggle. But what matters most, is that this album is bags of fun that gives you some great escapism from everything bad going on. AEON GODS will be a worthy addition to the pantheon of power metal bands such as SABATON, MANOWAR, BROTHERS OF METAL and more. Take a chance with something wonderfully silly every now and then and you’ll have a great time.
Rating: 7/10
Reborn To Light is out now via Scarlet Records.
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