Don’t let the band logo trick you into thinking Triumpher is an extreme metal band. While the influences are certainly there, the Greek quintet mainly wears its ‘The Triumph of Steel’-era Manowar inspiration in its sleeve, though with notably less repetitive songwriting, as well as more pronounced melodic sensibilities, and a better sense of when songs should be over. Last year, their debut album ‘Storming the Walls’ already impressed, but streamlining their songwriting and arrangements has significantly benefited ‘Spirit Invictus’ to the point that it is one of the best albums of its era in its specific style of metal.

While ‘Storming the Walls’ made an excellent first impression, it also seemed to buckle under the weight of its own ambition every once in a while. ‘Spirit Invictus’ sees the Greek quintet realizing what their strengths are and shifting their focus to them. The synths have been dialed back significantly, as have the choirs to a lesser extent, so ‘Spirit Invictus’ is driven by its riffs and lead guitar themes first and foremost. This might be the result of adding a second guitarist to the line-up – Marios Petropoulos from the awesome prog-thrashers Sacral Rage – but whatever the case, it works.

The lack of synths does not mean that Triumpher has sacrificed its flair for the dramatic, though. It’s just that the guitars bring the drama on ‘Spirit Invictus’. The most obvious example of this are the dissonant, black metal-esque chords that make up the foundation of ‘Alexander’. Mars Triumph being a dead ringer for Eric Adams in his prime vocally and drummer Agis Tzoukopoulos not stuffing every rhythm with barrages of notes keep the song firmly rooted in the epic heavy metal tradition. The title track also flirts with extreme metal in its melodic progressions and tremolo picking.

Highlighting the album for me is the incredible closing track ‘Hall of a Thousand Storms’, which builds from a Primordial-ish intro to a theatrical mid-tempo metal stomper with an unbelievably cathartic chorus. ‘Athena (1st Chapter)’ is another masterpiece in its epic, dramatic glory. Those who prefer Triumpher a bit more straightforward are treated to the riff monster ‘Triumpher’ and the particularly Manowar-inspired, speedy opening track ‘Arrival of the Avenger’. But really, Triumpher has clearly put so much effort into the songwriting and the flow of the track sequencing that the album’s forty minutes are over before you realize it.

Possibly the most impressive thing about Triumpher is that they are able to bring elements that have been around in the metal scene for decades together in a way that sounds completely fresh. Other than Manowar on one single album, I would honestly have a hard time thinking of a band that sounds like Triumpher does on ‘Spirit Invictus’. The quality of their riff work alone already puts them multiple tiers above bands with similar influences. If you like your metal theatrical and melodic, but also with a significant degree of aggression, ‘Spirit Invictus’ is simply a must-hear. I expect great things from Triumpher in the future.

Recommended tracks: ‘Hall of a Thousand Storms’, ‘Athena (1st Chapter)’, ‘Spirit Invictus’