Filthy Music Review - 'Gloryhammer: Tales from the Kingdom of Fife'

Gloryhammer – Tales from the Kingdom of Fife (2013)

Napalm Records

Review by Jude Felton

With a name like Gloryhammer you can pretty much guess what you are going to get. That’s right, we’re in the realms of fantasy power metal here, and with a song entitled The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee you just know that the cheese factor is going to be amped up to 11.

The band is the new project from Alestorm maestro Christopher Bowes, and the album Tales from the Kingdom of Fife tells of a fantastical mythical history of bonnie Scotland. Quite honestly, it’s all incredibly rousing stuff and not to mention more infectious than the plague. If you took equal amounts Manowar, DragonForce and early Helloween, you’d be in the right ballpark as Gloryhammer unleash their tunes.

This is an album packed full of driving anthems, epic tales and soaring ballads, and is far more enjoyable than maybe it should be. Musically it is top-notch, although there is a seemingly unhealthy overuse of the synth’s, yet it does fit the music (this is after all Bowes territory), and Thomas Winkler does have a mighty set of lungs on him.

If you like yourself some power metal, and can get your head around such titles as Magic Dragon, Amulet of Justice and Hail to the Crail, you’re going to be happier than a pig in shit. Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is epic, bombastic and incredibly catchy, and you’re bound to have a blast with it. Whether it has the longevity of the works of the aforementioned Manowar or Helloween though, remains to be seen.

Gloryhammer offer up no pretenses and appear to be having a right royal fun time with this album, and in all honesty there’s no reason that you shouldn’t. So, grab your flagons of ale, mount your stead and prepare to head into battle!

Track List:

1. Anstruther's Dark Prophecy
2. The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee
3. Angus McFife
4. Quest for the Hammer of Glory
5. Magic Dragon
6. Silent Tears of Frozen Princess
7. Amulet of Justice
8. Hail to Crail
9. Beneath Cowdenbeath
10. The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder

Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is available now on CD and Vinyl from Napalm Records.