Contrary to what anyone may think, writing an unbiased review is actually a pretty difficult process. I mean, when it comes to certain bands that you may have liked for years, that whole impartiality thing is a lot harder to come by than for a band you've never heard of before. What's worse is that when Frostmourn's Fall of Lordaron EP landed on my doorstep, I was faced with the daunting prospect of having to write a fair and balanced review of a friend's band.
Worst of all, according to the blurb inside of the CD, "Frostmourn draw from a range of influences to create their own brand of epic fantasy metal." A genre, just for the record, that I have absolutely no prior interest in, let alone knowledge or understanding of. In other words, I've got to write an impartial review about a friend's band, while having no idea, at all, of what I'm talking about.
Sounds like fun, right?
What is obvious, immediately, is that Frostmourn learn from their masters. Combining traditional heavy metal riffing and an occasional lead line with anthemic choruses, there are parts of this EP that are both easily memorable and catchy. Both "Final Battle" (complete with lyrics about the battle to preserve true metal, no less) and "The Sorcerer" epitomize the ethic of the EP, following highly melodic lines, without sacrificing any of their heaviness.
Basically, Fall of Lordaron is everything you would expect from a band claiming such influences as Intense and Blind Guardian, with a name derived from World of Warcraft, and cover art that includes dragons. In saying that, though, what the EP comes down to is well-written songs. Not songs that span genres, or that defy definition. Not songs that are likely to make people with no passing interest stand up and listen, but still, good songs, none the less.
Given that this is the first series of songs that Frostmourn have put down, and considering the massive scope for evolution in both song-writing and musicianship, for those already interested in the genre, Frostmourn are certainly one to watch.
