Album Review: Steel Mage – As The Chapel Falls (Self Released)

Based in Sheffield, UK, melodic hardcore 5-piece Steel Mage have released their debut full-length album ‘As the Chapel Falls’.

A captivating and evocative debut album, Steel Mage have stepped forth to stake their claim in the British metal scene. Ten tracks (including an intro and intermission) of blistering hardcore intensity, melody driven metal and groove. This is the stuff that compels you to head-bang and head-bang until you can’t anymore.

Steel Mage are really going for it here. This is an album bristling with barely contained rage. It seeps out of the instrumentation, whereas the vocals are simply spitting nails. Just listen to the absolute beast that is Betrayed to understand what is being said here.

That there, aside from the short intro of the title track, is the bar setter for Steel Mage but it’s also clear this is just the first of many heavy blows to come. The next? It’s a whirlwind of punches and kicks as Steel Mage unleash Unspoken Words and follow that up with the head-crushing Jealousy. Furious and ferocious but not without melodic touches and so damn delectable.

A Beautiful Confession allows a moment to take a breather, even if the sudden switch to atmospheric electro is really odd. Before DOASK’s Kyle Dawson joins Steel Mage to help Petrified sound even more aggressive than anything heard so far. That chorus is the sort of heavy shit that will cause carnage in a live pit.

Can it get any better than that? Of course, it can. Steel Mage still have a barrage of scathing noise to expel. Disfigured, snarling and frothing, and This Is the Day taking some of its cues from the thrash side of things. Followed then by the stupidly brash and guttural Bitter Truth, where Jack Lamb of Final Words turns this one into something liable to make your ears bleed and your guts tighten.

Which brings us to the end, Lost in Ambivalence and one last expected bout in the ring with Steel Mage. Yes, it’s intense and furious as ever but it also has some really impressive atmospheric melodies that make it one hell of an epic end.

A massive debut album. Steel Mage have well and truly announced themselves here.

Steel Mage – As the Chapel Falls Full Track Listing:

1. As the Chapel Falls
2. Betrayed
3. Unspoken Words
4. Jealousy
5. A Beautiful Confession
6. Petrified (feat. Kyle Dawson)
7. Disfigured
8. This Is the Day
9. Bitter Truth (feat. Jack Lamb)
10. Lost in Ambivalence

Links

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