Medusa’s Wrath is a Greek heavy metal band that has captured the attention of metal fans through their high-quality releases and highly energetic live performances. And now they return with their second album, “The Seventh Plague of Babylon”, hoping to make an even bigger impact than they did with “Pavor Exitium Mors”. Without a doubt, they will succeed, as this new record surpasses their already impressive debut in every way. Medusa’s Wrath craft outstanding traditional heavy metal songs, carrying forward the spirit of the classic 1980s heavy metal sound. With their new material, the band evolves into one of the most distinctive and fully realized acts of the new wave of old-school heavy metal. Their music is packed with exceptional riffs, epic galloping rhythms and sophisticated arrangements that collectively create a sense of pure old-school metal grandeur. As part of this artistic growth and their journey toward greater maturity, Medusa’s Wrath incorporate elements of black metal and extreme metal into their sound. They draw inspiration from the traditions of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, flirt with the styles of Manowar, Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol, while at times venturing into a distinctly US metal ground reminiscent of bands such as Metal Church, Nasty Savage and Vicious Rumors. Prepare yourself to even hear blast beats on the album’s title track, whose lyrics were written by Jim Mutilator (Yoth Iria, ex-Rotting Christ). In my opinion, the addition of these extreme metal influences is also due to the album’s production, with mixing handled by Naberius (Yoth Iria, Karma Violens) and mastering by Epaminondas Oikonomou (Kawir, Karma Violens). Beyond that, guitarist Petros Kalivas delivers again a truly remarkable performance throughout the album, while the vocals have become more diverse and adventurous, often resulting into growls. The album itself flows effortlessly from start to finish, making for a highly engaging listening experience. “The Seventh Plague of Babylon” stands among the most awe-inspiring releases to emerge from the international traditional metal scene in recent years. With this album, Medusa’s Wrath take a significant step forward in their artistic development. And we will gladly follow them on that path.
♦ 9/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
