Veil of the Gods

Debut from a Finnish band so new they don't even have a Metal-Archives entry yet. This is a big album of Doom-tinged Epic Metal in the vein of bands like Doomsword, Ilium, or Arrayan Path—no shock since singer Nicholas Leptos is also in Arryan Path, lending his smooth, powerful voice to the proceedings. The surprise is that the guitars, bass, and seemingly songwriting are from Ville Pystynen—better known as Shatraug from Black Metal bands like Black Stench, Sargeist, and Horna. This is Epic True Metal all the way, with a definite Hellenic sound to it, recalling Holy Martyr, Doomsword, or Wrathblade. The riffs are big and muscular, the melodies are hooky, and the vocals are first-rate. Really, a stellar debut.