Band:	Triumpher
Album:	Spirit Invictus
Style:	Epic heavy metal, Power metal
Release date:	October 25, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Overture To Elysian
02. Arrival Of The Avenger
03. Athena (1st Chapter)
04. Spirit Invictus
05. Alexander
06. Shores Of Marathon
07. Triumpher
08. Hall Of A Thousand Storms

After Storming The Walls, will Triumpher triumph once more with Spirit Invictus?

Some decades ago, the once so-called gods of metal Manowar gathered a legion considering themselves true metalhead warriors whilst leading a mighty genre known as epic power metal. Nowadays, this band is seen by many as nothing more than a pioneering act whose epicness has simply run its course. However, there is one nation in particular that has continued such traditions without the gimmicks and honouring the once great founders of the genre, and that nation (with no surprise whatsoever) is Greece. One of the leading bands behind this revival who emerged onto the ever-growing scene back in 2019 is Triumpher, who in 2023 released their full-length debut Storming The Walls, an album proving to be one of the finest in the category that year. Now returning only a year later, Triumpher are back with their sophomore effort Spirit Invictus, but does it prove to be another triumphant success?

From the beginning, it's clear this band is not just your typical Manowar clone but something much more; yes, they undoubtedly come under the epic heavy/power bracket, but hints of blackened heavy/speed metal and meloblack influences are striking features that distinguish themselves from other bands in the scene. The songwriting and song structures are not entirely out of the ordinary, but each song is an adrenaline-fuelled battle hymn, brimming top-to-bottom with infectious melodies and catchy fist-pumping arena chants, with choruses that ring out from raw passionate vocal harmonies. However, songs such as "Spirit Invictus" feature some of these striking ferocious blackened tremolos that alternative with the traditional heavy riffs and power shredding solos, while the tempo, despite being mostly driven by a traditional galloping rhythm section, delivers some insanely rapid-tempo sections. 

The vocals performed by Mars Triumph are usually nothing short of spectacular; they certainly don't lack in passion at least, but there are times when his powerful wailing start to become over-the-top, drowning out the instrumentation quite substantially. Along with that, the spoken narrations might also add a slice of unnecessary cheese for some listeners. In terms of production, it's massively produced; even though I wouldn't necessarily say it's overproduced, there's a sense that some would feel it loses its true metal authenticity. Hercules might agree with that, but in terms of comparing this band's overall quality with his, well, let's not even go there.

So has Spirit Invictus triumphed over Storming The Walls? Well it's an astounding yes from me; it at the very least ticks all the right boxes for what's expected of this genre. If you want to relive the days once dominated by heroic-themed, battle-ready anthems that really get your blood rushing, adrenaline pumping, and head banging, without the need to possess a goofy alpha macho image to do so, then this album most certainly achieves that. In small doses, this is an exceptional record; however, your experience of this album may also depend on how much epicness and cheese you can endure. Triumpher are fast becoming a real force in epic heavy/power metal, and not only do they honour the once so-called gods of the genre Manowar, but are close to staking a claim for the title themselves, if not for having to contend with other great prospects on this fast-growing scene such as Achelous, Sacred Outcry, Steel Arctus, and Warrior Path.