Stormlord
At the Gates of Utopia

December 2001
Released: 2001, Scarlet Records
Rating: 4.2/5
Reviewer: El Cid

Here’s my favorite Italian band again! After releasing the excellent EP THE CURSE OF MEDUSA, Stormlord are back with AT THE GATES OF UTOPIA, their new full length. This new release is definitely good for creating a lot of hope!



Stormlord sound more mature than ever in their music. There are some huge improvements in the production department, but more importantly there is also a huge improvement in the arrangements the Romans are doing these days. Their songs sound more structured and thus more brutal than ever before! Cristiano Borchi’s vocals remain as extreme as ever (which might turn some power metal fans away) but just enough to keep them interesting.



The most interesting thing about this album would have to be the way they have handled their keyboards, they are not the driving or dominant force they were before, they have been given a little less flair this time, sort of taking them into the background a bit instead of making their music spin around them. The result has been very good, at least in my eyes, the keyboards on a couple of tracks in here actually remind me of Bal Sagoth.



Besides this, there is not much to say about this fantastic epic Black Metal blend from Italy save that if you liked anything previously released by these guys, you’ll absolutely love this album!