Second album from this Polish band that burst onto the trad metal scene with their debut, Mankind's Odyssey, back in 2022. Sentinels of New Dawn picks up where that one left off with plenty of sweet '80s-influenced heavy/power metal. Once again, speed is a big component of Aquilla's songwriting approach, and when combined with the screaming lead work and high-pitched vocal and catchy choruses of a track like "Creed of Fire" recall Scanner. Speed isn't all this band relies on and there is more atmosphere this time around, even a bit of an epic vibe to songs like "The Prophet," which reminds me of Dio-era Black Sabbath and "Battalion 31," which has vocal lines that evoke Dark Forest. There are no bad tracks on Sentinels of New Dawn, so like its predecessor, it is a feast for fans of '80s heavy/power metal, especially those that enjoy Scanner, Riot, Dio-era, Sabbath, Warlord, etc.
