ALBUM REVIEW: The Majesty Of Decay – Judicator

November 24, 2022 Elliot Leaver

Although it arguably originated from their shores, the United States isn’t often associated with major power metal bands despite boasting the likes of SAVATAGE, MANOWAR and, to a lesser extent, ARMORED SAINT. Many of the biggest names within the genre are European, but JUDICATOR wouldn’t half mind taking some of the spotlight away. Coming from a combination of Utah, Arizona and California, the four-piece, who started as a humble tribute to their collective favourite band – BLIND GUARDIAN – have had a prolific output in their decade as a band, with five studio albums already to their name and a sixth on the way – released November 25th, The Majesty Of Decay is their next chapter, out via Prosthetic Records.

Given their love for the power metal blend across the pond, one would expect JUDICATOR to start with all guns blazing, opening the album with a soaring tune that gets the blood pumping and fists raised. It’s disappointing, therefore, that Euphoric Parasitism is a mid-tempo plodder; the solo from Balmore Lemus is killer, but it’s an otherwise underwhelming opening that doesn’t get any better with the title track, a song that goes a shade over five minutes but feels twice as long because it’s just as drab and slow, the weakest song on the record. From The Belly Of The Whale, however, has a bit more about it – the American influences are beginning to feature with the guitars having a hint of MEGADETH about them and the chorus bags more substance than its predecessors. When Daughter Of Swords follows suit and adds a dash of groove metal in with the opening riffs, suddenly JUDICATOR look like they’ve found their feet.

The back end of the record proves this; Ursa Minor and Ursa Major are a solid mid-album pairing that dip toes into extreme metal in the former and the classic European sound in the latter and Judgment has a real air of latter-day MAIDEN with the progressive nature of the guitars and the bass rumble in the middle; it also features a great cameo from ANGEL WOLF-BLACK singer Angel Chatzitheodorou. However, JUDICATOR have saved the best for last in the nine-and-a-half minute epic Metamorphosis, finishing strongly. It starts in classic power metal territory, before moving into a song with an excellent isolated guitar solo, a goddamn saxophone solo and a wonderful symphonic metal build to the finish; considering how poorly The Majesty Of Decay started, it seems almost miraculous that it’s finished with such a flourish, yet this closing song has pulled the album out of the mire almost singlehandedly.

In The Majesty Of Decay, JUDICATOR have crafted a solid, if not outstanding, power metal record that will delight those who enjoy the genre in general, but may not entice those who aren’t enamoured to give it a try. The closing track is worth a few minutes of your time outright, however everything else barely reaches what bigger bands in the genre would consider third gear; it certainly won’t feature in many End of Year lists.

Rating: 6/10