March To Die – Tears of the Gorgon
Release Date: 24th November 2022
Label: No Remorse Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
FFO: Mirror, Friends of Hell, Satan’s Wrath.
Review By: Kira L. Schlechter
Debut albums are like power hitters in baseball. Sometimes they hit almost every pitch. And sometimes their bats go cold.
So with that metaphor in mind, call “Tears of the Gorgon,” by the Greek/Cypriot band March To Die, a solid home run.
Singer/guitarist Alex Danazoglou, guitarist Nikolas Sprits Moutafis, bassist Anastasios Danazoglou, and drummer Hugo Enrique Olivos make up this band that’s drawn from other bands; Hugo, Anastasios (known as Taz), and Nikolas are also members of Mirror.
And they’re a bloodthirsty bunch, with plentiful references to violence and death. The opener “The Eternal Oath” lets us know what we’re in for from the start, with its foreboding low drums and choir vocals that are torn to tatters by a guitar screech. A decidedly nasty guitar melody, loaded with treble, is established in this long but effective intro that features a harsh spoken vocal as the father’s voice, urging his son to “kill and kill again” and a cleaner spoken vocal as the son vows, in response, “I will be crowned victorious or die!” A sparse tom drumbeat at the end seals that promise.
“One Eyed King” is based on a simple but effective guitar melody and loads and loads of Taz’s excellent bass playing along to it (so nice to hear clear, emphasized bass in a mix), not to mention a very Metallica-esque loping head-swing of a groove. Two verses of Alex’s shouted vocals introduce our character – who is “Destined to rule this ancient land” and is the “Son of the gods” – but who faces a bit of adversity – “Circled by traitors, cowards, and thieves” – and is then perhaps betrayed – “The hand that is risen is taking your life.” Thematically it could be referring to Odin if you consider the title, but there’s also a mention of “Medusa’s seal,” so interpretation in that regard is up for grabs. The chorus is interesting in its erratic rhythm and bright guitar accompaniment, and it shifts immediately into a solo, then to a bridge hinting at resurrection (“Mortal remains may come back to life”). Another solo and back into that groove we go as the chorus is repeated several times, with overdubbing added.
“Hail To Thee” too has a memorably straightforward guitar melody (and more excellent bass) and a punchy tempo. It’s your typical preparing-for-battle song, psyching up the “ironclad warriors, to none you shall kneel” and giving them courage, with lines like “Fear will no longer exist” and “Spit at the face of death.” The chorus, “Hail to thee, the ones who shall die/We will meet again in the sky,” spirals upward and upward as to ascend to those very heavens, Alex playing his guitar melody right alongside his vocal one and adding a flourish at the close.
Slower and grittier, with a gloomy guitar riff and bass combo and a potent swing (they really have a way with a groove), “Son Of The Old Gods” might mix its Greek and Norse references a bit (they mention Hades and “a golden trident”), but its real point is reviving the old ways through bloody battle (as the pre-chorus urges, “trample the cross under my horse”). It’s pointedly critical of Christianity, decrying the “Chained nations” and the “slave minions … kneeling to pray and repent at the cross” and the faith’s “lies, corruption, and filth.” The one-line, spat-out chorus, “Bow to none, son of the old gods,” should become a classic – it’s that good, as is the whole track.
“Helmetsmasher” has a rather unique songwriting structure. Its long intro, that starts with a tense and doomy acoustic melody and the rumble of thunder (a nice carry over from the previous track), continues into an electric dirge and a pounding rhythm, and resolves into a marching double-kick-driven thud with more fantastic bass thumping along, builds the mood. The meat of the song itself – a torrid tale of war with the victors “Charging ahead, devouring your life, opening portals of death,” holds just one verse, a chorus, and a bridge, and each element is repeated anew. The technique is an effective way of conveying the crazed, violent action, as is the repetition of the chorus at the end – subsequent run-throughs add the guitar to the melody of the words and add overdubbing to the original vocals. The chorus melody is played on acoustic at the end to neatly tie things up.
The slave-like life of the mercenary – and a very traditional metal approach – is the basis of “March To Die,” those “twisted minds” who gain courage by being “sky-high drunk” (“No sleep, more wine” and “All hail, more ale,” Alex bellows) and who travel to “foreign shores” to “spit on your grave.” The pre-chorus – the preparation for war – is super catchy; the chorus, grudging and tired (“Black and cursed, our destiny is fulfilled/Get on your feet, death we will meet”) has a more elongated feel in sympathy. The bridge serves to summarize and reflect on “Victory and glory, the battles we fought” and to warn, “Death is certain, life is not.” There’s no rest for those who live for war, as the last lines note: “We are leaving, let us ride/Another war/March to die.” A fusillade of guitar shrapnel is the final comment.
The band’s penchant for lengthy intros continues in “Stand And Be Counted,” but they don’t ever meander – their musicianship and ear for potent melodies and stirring grooves makes every bit of them worthwhile. The intro here sets up the main erratic tempo and guitar melody (played right along by Taz’s bass – can’t say enough about how enjoyable his parts are) that’s carried throughout. This is about the camaraderie of warriors – “Brothers, we’re standing all here on this field” – in the face of uncertain odds – “Some will survive, some you may fall” – and the glory of the sacrifice – “To ascend up in heavens/And be one with the gods.” The chorus is flat-out wonderful, Alex’s voice ranging from deep roar to piercing, defiant shriek. A quiet interlude of bells and choir vocals serves to remind what will be lost here; it’s not all victory, as some will never return. Alex’s soloing, backed by the chorus melody, seamlessly folds into another chorus, and it all empties out as he alone delivers the final line, “Arrows of fire, fly.”
“Decapitation” flies in the face of everything prior in that it’s very short and very direct. The imagery might be a little over-the-top and gleefully slavering (“Kicking and thrashing, but there’s no escape/Demons from hell/Sealed your fate/Your body lies with no head”) but damn if the earworm chorus isn’t a sing-along, even if one of the lines is “On my horse your head.” It’s all in good, gory fun.
The stellar title track closer is a unique take on the Greek myth of Medusa. Set to a deliciously creepy, sinuous – yes, snake-like – guitar melody and a hypnotic doomy plod, its verses have a decidedly Eastern feel. The first is from Perseus’ perspective as he seeks out the tragic Gorgon (“Upon thy shield I see the face/Of dark antiquity and fear”); in the second, he’s almost seduced by her rather than seeking her death, as he says, “Your locks with scales adorned/Your eyes with burning fire/Why don’t you cover me with snakes/Is death what I desire?” After a solo section that increases the song’s speed to match the pace of the plot, we hear Medusa’s voice in the bridge as she looks back on how she came to be – “Betrayed by mortals, now seek revenge/Turned into demon/Black serpents’ stench/Gods of the throne laughing at me.” The repeated first two lines of the chorus at the end, “Your frozen eyes are turning me to stone/Tears of the Gorgon, destiny is shown,” almost makes the story’s conclusion ambiguous. Does Perseus slay her? Or does he welcome his own end? I love how they take the liberty to mess with the well-trodden tale in that way.
This is an all-star effort by a band who has thrown down the gauntlet for others to match – yeah, good luck on that. Excellently done.
(5 / 5)
