Jaldaboath – Rise of the Heraldic Beasts (2010)

Everything that has to do with the Templar Knights has been of great interest for us in the past, so when we heard of this band playing ‘Templar-inspired Metal’ we quickly jumped in and started listening to “Rise of the Heraldic Beasts”. To our disappointment, Jaldaboath is a terrible band, we can’t really pinpoint if it’s the stupid lyrics (like on “Axe Wielding Nuns” for example) or the terrible simplistic music and vocals (i.e. “Hark the Herald”).

Just imagine a bad mix of Alestorm and Nekrogoblikon, with a lot less inspiration and a lot more repetition. Half the songs on “Rise of the Heraldic Beasts” are very repetitive and get to be very annoying after a few songs. The terrible vocals of songs like “Hark the Herald” and “Axe Wielding Nuns” really kill the mood created by a few nice keyboard arrangements and catchy rhythmical sections.

Another issue that we have with the album is the convoluted flow it has. Songs like “Jaldaboath” sound like ridiculous fillers, and kills some of the momentum built by “Axe Wielding Nuns”. Some songs like “Jacque DeMolay” feature the traditional Folk/Viking Metal elements that we love with catchy instrumentation and an epic feeling to it, but even songs like this can’t save the album.

We think that if the band was a bit more serious in their approach they could have made a very solid album. Also the music needs a bit more work since it sounds like something a high school music department can cook up for a school play. There are more hits than misses in “Rise of the Heraldic Beasts”, but if you are into ‘different’ themed music with crazy vocals and deranged sounds, this album will become your new favorite.

Release: October 5th, 2010

Country: UK