Astral Iron pounds and pulses vibrantly, deploying riffs coursing and crushing barbarically before leaving wide-open spaces in anticipation of that next addicting slash of ancient steel. HIGH WARDEN’s tones match their execution – earthen and mossy, grit encasing clarity – and each of the album’s five primary tracks (“Burgfrieden” is a hauntingly serene synth interlude that gives way to feedback) lumber forward with epic aplomb and high adventure.
The vocals of A. v. Morgue-Gûl are plaintive and poignant, illustrating tales mainly based on individual thoughts but suitably packaged as analogies to various fantasy works (like those of J.R.R. Tolkien), historical events, and legends & myths. Unbelievers only need to hear Astral Iron’s closing epic “We Shall Burn at Foreign Shores (The Choice of Achilles)” to witness the blanching power of HIGH WARDEN!
Regular edition LP on black vinyl with:
insert
poster
sticker
post card
download code