Signum Regis
Chapter IV: The Reckoning

I still recall the debut album by Signum Regis that I reviewed back in the early days of this Hallowed webzine, it was a good album featuring the very competent vocalist Göran Edman. Many years has passed since then and Signum Regis has managed two more albums and one EP since then, this is their fourth chapter that is The Reckoning. The band has another singer now compared with the debut, they also have a much nicer cover artwork than what they had back then and working with competent people it is set to be exciting, at least that is what was promised by the EP they released earlier this year so at least one can hope.

Melodic metal or heavy-/power metal is what it can be described as. It is very melodic built on distinct melodies and choruses but also the more subtle details that are mostly carried out by the keyboards, things that can be described as adding more depth to the songs. The albums sounds fairly fresh, yet it doesn’t deviate much from established paths of the genre, they are hardly ground breaking but neither are they just repeating what has already been done – I think they show good balance in that regard. The singer is very good, no Göran Edman but he still carries the songs very well with his way of singing. I think that the album can be described as well balance  and varied, not too long playing time and it has a nice depth that will make the album stand up well to repeated playthroughs. I think it can be described as a high quality production, an album that clearly realises what could be expected from the direction of the EP earlier this year.

The strength of this album is in the smaller details, the keyboard melodies and the small atmospheres that you start noticing after hearing the album a few times. It gives the album lots of depth and a feeling that you keep discovering new things every time you hear the album. Add to that depth and details a few majestic hit songs that most power metal bands would kill to have in their arsenal, and you know that this is a very strong album. It is in fact excellent and proves that you do not have to venture far off the more threaded paths to create something that feels very relevant and fresh. It is difficult to see how anyone would dislike this album; it has all you need, like great songs, depth, variation and the sensation of musical drama. I don’t see that it has any weakness in the track list, the album works great as a whole but the hit songs would also make a great addition to any radio show. I can only bow and tip my hat for Signum Regis, this is an excellent album that I can recommend to all you who read this webzine.

I have already allured to the fact that this album shows some solid hit songs but not really pointed out which tracks they are; one of them is the second track Secret of the Sea that has a chorus that instantly grabs me but also a depth that keeps me caught for a long time despite pressing the repeat button ever so often. The Magi is another one of those songs. The penultimate track Kingdom of Heaven is another strong track that has me captured, as is the final track with its pianos and more soft approach, excellent ending of an excellent album. In fact, I could mention the majority of tracks but that would be pointless, all I need to write is that it is a very strong album in all regards and I think that Signum Regis really hits the mark with it – it is not very often we get to hear this kind of music of this calibre.

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