VELVET THUNDER

Sacred outcry is a power metal band originally formed in 1998 in Greece and was active until 2004 by which time the four-track Temple Of Power EP had been released and work had begun on the proposed debut album Damned For All Time and after two years of work the rough mix was finally in the can. Unfortunately, the band then folded in 2004 but, thankfully, returned in 2015 and all thoughts were turned to the rough mix and the work still required to complete the record as originally intended. New recordings and rework took until 2018 and the following year was spent adding orchestral arrangements, editing, mixing and mastering. Finally, after so many years, the debut album has finally been released and we can all revel in the glory that is Damned For All Time.

This is epic metal with elements of progressive metal and a whole lot of power metal making for a huge and all-encompassing hard rock extravaganza. As with all good stories of fable and legend, it is part of a concept called The Sacred Chronicles of which Damned For All Time is merely the first chapter and we can only hope that we do not have to wait another 15 years or so for the next stage to be released!

The band is comprised of George Apalodimas (bass), Dimitris Perros (lead & rhythm guitars), Stelios Darakis (drums), Vagelis Spanakis (acoustic guitars), John Skalkotos (keyboards and guesting on vocals is Yannis Papadopoulos (ex-Wardrum, Beast In Black). It is easy to tell that a lot of time, effort , hard work and a lot of love has gone into this work with each musician giving just about everything they have to give and the performances are simply stellar. It is a very heavy album with huge towering riffs and sublime orchestration and is most complex indeed but the production job is supreme and when the band slows it down for the more intricate passages then you can pick out every single note. Indeed, the acoustic guitar work of Spanakis is jaw dropping and so elegant, delicate and refined but it all blends perfectly. This is epic metal so everything is cranked to the max and thundering drums, powerful bass and wailing guitars are the order of the day yet everything is kept under tight control and you only hear what you are supposed to hear, no egos here at all. Anyone who has heard Yannis Papadopoulos will know that he has a strong and powerful voice and he adds that extra touch of class to a band that is already brimming over with skill and talent. The songs are perfectly written and all fall into the category of awe inspiring epic with the orchestration and symphonic elements making the proceedings thrilling and grandiose. Just listen to the 14-minute plus Damned For All Time which perfectly sums up this band, everything you want to hear in a metal epic and then some!

Take the metal edge of Ross The Boss (or Manowar if you wish), the sheer showmanship of Dio and the power of Blind Guardian and then you have Sacred Outcry. Damned For All Time is an album that has been a long time in the making but it has been worth waiting for, supreme epic metal at its best.