LORD: Set in Stone

Produced by Lord Tim

Released: August 2009

While often exploring the darker side of human nature, LORD's songs can also be positive and empowering but without going into that cheesy "happy metal" area of their European kin. So it is that they open their latest album in typical style, an uplifting anthem in the shape of "Redemption", pure metal that should get heads nodding from the outset. It's clear right away that "Set in Stone" is a LORD album. It has that distinctive sound, bristling with loud crunchy guitars, booming drums and soaring vocals. Then the band goes into a melodic heavy rock direction in "100 Reasons" with its amazing pop-laced hook. After this is the big epic metal of "Eternal Storm" and the driving title track with its catchy riffing and duelling lead guitars.

By now you get the feeling that LORD is building to something, and so they are. "Someone Else's Dream" is a surging progressive melodic thrash juggernaut with all the band's colours on display including Lord Tim's much-developed harsher vocal style that contrasts starkly with the massive choruses. This song is much like something Soilwork used to do before they stopped being interesting. And LORD continues to keep everyone guessing, with "Forever" deceptively belying its dark subject matter by opening like a typical over-wrought power metal ballad before exploding into guitar violence. The surprises don't stop there, as LORD unleashes a mountain of guests for the ridiculously shred-laden "Be My Guest", with people including Craig Goldy, Glen Drover, Olof Morck from Dragonland, Chris Brooks and members of Harem Scarem, Angra, Argument Soul, Paindivision and Vanishing Point all trying to melt each other's faces off for the sake of heavy metal. Because essentially that's precisely what Set in Stone is: a glorious heavy metal album that doesn't have pretensions of being anything else.

Lord Tim has an amazing knack for pumping out consistently high quality metal, but I've been waiting for him to match the pinnacle that was Dungeon's A Rise to Power for quite a while. With LORD's Set in Stone, he's finally done it.

1. Spectres of the Ascendant
2. Redemption
3. 100 Reasons
4. Eternal Storm
5. Set in Stone
6. Someone Else's Dream
7. Forever
8. Beyond the Light
9. The End of Days
10. Be My Guest
11. New Horizons

Rating: 95%