Heavatar - Opus I - All my Kingdoms

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 February 2013 20:38 Written by EvaLantsoght

Artist: Heavatar

Album: Opus I - All my Kingdoms

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: power metal

Heavatar is the new band of Stefan Schmidt of the a capella metal band Van Canto. On Opus I – All my Kingdoms every track is inspired by a classical composition.

The combination of classic music and metal is not new, and many power metal and symphonic metal bands have worked with orchestras to record their own music, or have covered classic music.

On Opus I – All my Kingdoms, music from Bach, Beethoven, Paganini and Bizet has been used. Unlike some other classic music and metal mergers, the album fully sounds like in-the-face metal.

One element that pushes the album absolutely in the category of metal is the vocal work – unlike most power metal singers, Stefan Schmidt has a deeper tone and at times more extreme twist to it. The focus of the music is on the guitars, bass and drums – with symphonic elements only here and there as a colorant.

Even though Opus I – All my Kingdoms borrows from, and is inspired by classic music, the result is a strong power metal album. Heavatar has the power and speed of Helloween and Blind Guardian, and the symphonic elements of (old) Rhapsody and (pre-Theli) Therion, with the final result a sound that reminds me of Oratory.

Of the nine tracks of the album, you should sample the following to get an idea of what Heavatar stands for: the symphonic opening track “Replica”, the fierce double-bassed “Elysium at Dawn” and the epic soundtrack-metal of “The Look Above”. Sadly, the final track “To the Metal” does not fit the album; it aims at being a metal anthem, but fails miserably.

If you like power metal and symphonic metal, and remember Rhapsody's Rain of a Thousand Nights, you should give a listen to Opus I – All my Kingdoms. This album is similar, yet takes a different approach to honoring classical music at the same time – a combination that worked out brilliantly for Heavatar.