Less than a year after publicly announcing the band, Glyph is releasing their debut album, Honor. Power. Glory. While the band is newly formed, the members are already known players in the North American power metal scene, including R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous), Rob Steinway (Greyhawk, ex-Skeletor), Darin Wall (Greyhawk), and Jeff Black (Gatekeeper). Since this is their first album together, it feels like they have reigned in their musical chops a bit to allow for broader appeal while not fully limiting anyone from demonstrating their talents. On a first listen, it has the classic power metal sounds, but repeat listens draw out more complexity in the arrangement as well as individual parts.
Honor. Power. Glory. kicks off strong in the title track, which is a catchy battle song that sets the stage for the story of the full concept album, telling of a kingdom that, once mighty, has fallen and must rise again. “Honor, Power, Glory” begins with a marching kick drum and strong bass paired with triumphant keys and punctuated with what sounds like a synthesized vibraphone. The lyrics are equally catchy and dramatic, but, unfortunately, the full impact of the song is diminished by dragging on about a minute too long. The good news is that, unlike a lot of power metal songs/albums, this is the only song that feels like it overstays its welcome, and the rest of the album brings all of the catchiness characteristic of power metal without losing sight of the flow.
The second track, “March of the Northern Clan,” has a slower, hopeful intro that quickly ramps up into a galloping guitar riff matched by both the bass and a keytar, which continues to feature prominently throughout the album. The screaming solo in this track is a fun battle between Black’s hypersonic keytar skills and Steinway’s equally quick-handed guitar shredding, mimicking the in-story battle between the Northern Clan and the hostile southern realm of a world under a dying sun. The second track is also where we start to get hints of Voltaire’s voice shifting from his clean power metal tones into hints of his grittier heavy metal vocals as the warriors begin to face their fate.
In “A Storm of Crimson Fire” fast-paced keytar/guitar riffs lead into a catchy chorus revealing the villains of the story, the biomechanical dragons that fill the sky and forced the settlers away from their homeworld, who have now appeared again. Another quick keytar solo draws attention to two of the interesting musical choices in the album. First, most of the solos manage to hit a very delicate sweet spot in the balance between breaking up the song and falling into the pit of gratuitous guitar (or keytar) wanking. Second, in many parts of the album, Glyph flips the instrumental hierarchy for keys and guitar, and the keytar, rather than appearing for a solo as an occasional gimmick, plays the leads for full songs while the actual guitar takes a back seat and accompanies in the rhythm role. This combination of the keytar in lead and the backing orchestrations creates an effect where keys are king in the mix and gives a different effect than the classic riffs over backing keys sound.
Moving into the core of the story (and back into a more standard lead guitar hierarchy), “When the World Was Young” is a heavy metal anthem with a catchy power metal chorus. Here, we see Voltaire really let those gritty heavy metal tones soar against a backdrop of a sick guitar riff. A cut to a slower kick drum with accent keys builds the tension as the crew explores their motivations for returning to the safer and happier world of the past. In a similar throwback, we hear some quick beats of the vibratone sound from the opening track, bringing us back to the homeworld of legend.
Imbued with a new resolve, they take off on their true journey to find the legendary Eldenfire that powers space travel and would allow them to return to their homeworld and fight the dragons to restore their kingdom under a full sun. “Eldenfire” is the more hopeful twin of “When the World Was Young,” reflecting the structure down to the keytar solo into slow kick drum beats while bringing a renewed sense of hope to the story. The rough, chugging riff of the previous song is traded in for a cleaner tone and the best riffs on the album as the crew succeeds in their mission to unlock the secrets of space travel.
“Defy the Night” is another fast-paced heavy metal track, with the drums and bass picking up into a full-on charge as the crew takes off into the great unknown of space, seeking to find their way home. The catchy chorus chant of “DEFY THE NIGHT” punctuates the song, which also features a couple of impressive guitar solos that only just start to cross the line into wankery before cutting off as Voltaire launches into another chorus. The effect of the lead keytar arrangement mentioned earlier is most noticeable in the later third of the album, especially the seventh and eighth tracks.
“Sign of the Dragonlord” is a marching battle song that brings our heroes back to their homes, where they power a weapon that gives them an edge in the dramatic battle against the fierce dragons. Following the battle, “Glorious” is a victory hymn, urging the remaining population on the dying sun world to return to the homeworld and take up the fight, hoping everyone can come together to rebuild a world of light and strength.
No power metal battle album would be complete without a celebratory drinking song, and the final track, “Volaråd” celebrates the dual success of restoring their homeworld and of recreating the ancient drink their home is known for, a mysterious nectar that hits hard and has a hangover to match. The closing song incorporates some new elements like a harpsichord intro and a new, snappy rhythm, while also tying the album together with the return of the familiar vibration scales as well as a guitar line that brings back notes of “A Storm of Crimson Fire.”
As a whole, Honor. Power. Glory. merges the accessible listening and broad appeal of classic power and heavy metal while still incorporating more complexity beneath the surface, especially in the orchestrations and the balance of the guitar and keytar. I do think the band held back on their full capabilities in this album, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with for their next album, which will hopefully give them more opportunities to showcase their full talents.
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: When the World Was Young, Eldenfire, Volaråd
FFO: Sabaton, Rhapsody, Dragonforce, HammerFall
Honor.Power.Glory. will be released on March 29 and will be available on Glyph’s website.
To see the album live, catch Glyph on one of their upcoming tour dates:
03/27 Detroit, MI – The Majestic
03/29 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
03/30 Omaha, NE – The Admiral
04/02 Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
04/03 Saskatoon, SK – Coors Event Centre
04/05 Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
04/06 Calgary, AB – The Palace Theatre
04/08 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
04/09 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
04/10 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
04/12 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
04/13 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
04/15 Tucson, AZ – Ritual Theater
04/16 Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
04/18 Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond
04/19 St. Louis, MO – Red Flag
04/20 Indianapolis, IN – Old National
04/21 Nashville, TN – Marathon
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08/03 Madison, WI – MAD WITH POWER 7 – The Sylvee
