It’s official: Canadian intergalactic power metallers Glyph have launched themselves into a galaxy near you with their debut release, Honor, Power, Glory. New in name (but certainly not to the scene), this stacked lineup offers some serious promise for a bombastic, cinematic, and simply fun album – and they deliver with no room to spare. Filled with everything we love about power metal and supplemented with plenty of pleasant surprises, this album is for fans of Rhapsody, Sabaton, and old school power metal.
Glyph formed in 2023 by keyboardist Jeff Black (Gatekeeper), bassist Darin Wall (Greyhawk), guitarist Rob Steinway (Greyhawk, Hjelvik), and frontman R.A. Voltaire (Ravenous E.H.). Bound together by a shared love of European power metal, this crew reinforces North America’s rightful place in the scene.
TRACK 01: Honor, Power, Glory
The title track makes a strong start in its introduction. Once we reach the first verse, Voltaire’s vocals adopt a low tone to bring down the intensity before driving head-first into the incredibly catchy, very “power metal” chorus. The orchestration, and brass accents in particular, add the right amount of tension to the piece. Overall, this track contains all the elements we expect and hope for: catchy melodies, rising and falling tension, a well-executed guitar solo, and a memorable chorus that’s easily translatable into a live performance context. The keys transport us to the genre’s formative years. Following the guitar solo and shortly before the 3:00 mark, Voltaire offers an unanticipated divergence from the expected with beautifully theatrical vocal work.
TRACK 02: March of the Northern Clan
March of the Northern Clan is a true album highlight, incorporating melodic and rhythmic elements that are, to our delight, reminiscent of Rhapsody’s Dawn of Victory (it’s a favourite). The pre-chorus drums are unconventional, adding distinct interest to the piece before the chorus. The keyboard solo is another unanticipated addition that complements the overall song. The choral harmonies and overall ending finish off the track powerfully. This song’s orchestration is beautiful. Reaching this point of the album, something became clear: what at first seemed to be two distinct vocalists were, indeed, both R.A. Voltaire offering an impressively dynamic performance.
TRACK 03: A Storm Of Crimson Fire
Once we recollected ourselves from this revelation, A Storm of Crimson Fire began with keys before returning to power metal fundamentals. The keyboard elements – the sounds themselves and their arrangements – are some of the most memorable of the album. Likewise, the chorus steals our attention with deeply layered vocals and an infectious melodic line.
TRACK 04: When The World Was Young
When the World was Young offers a brief reprieve from its higher-tempo predecessors, beginning with synth keyboard and a steady rhythm. Evoking a sense of nostalgia in both lyrics and melody, it’s hard not to sing along without even knowing the words. While orchestration is simpler than previous tracks, it fits well within the song and simultaneously redirects our focus to the impressive vocal work done here. The vocals are artfully placed within a stereo panorama that demands to be heard in a well-curated listening environment. Orchestration grows towards the end to bring the track to a powerful ending. Before remembering the band’s members are intergalactic power metallers from the planet Volaria, the lyrics and music like this captured a sense of longing and reminiscence that felt very human, and very close to Earth.
Photo: Rob Zawistowski (RZcinema)
TRACK 05: Eldenfire
Eldenfire’s guitars perfectly accentuate the melodic line of the orchestra – it’s a great introduction. The synth/keyboard has a lot of dynamics in this track, lending the listener an opportunity to appreciate subtle but accurate arrangements before each chorus. It holds our interest throughout. While the chorus lacks the high harmonies found in the previous tracks, the voice retains power throughout the entire song.
TRACK 06: Defy The Night
Defy the Night speeds things back up: it’s a faster track that makes a return to power metal’s roots.The keyboard-heavy melodic introduction immediately grabs our attention, holding it through each of the song’s instrumental changes. Following the first chorus, a somewhat-unexpected guitar riff offers a refreshing change between parts. Following an expertly executed guitar solo, the track has an abrupt, strong ending. The listener is left wanting to hear more.
TRACK 07: Sign of the Dragonlord
Sign of the Dragonlord briefly departs from old-school power metal in favour of an epic introduction featuring victory brass in its orchestration. The vocals were again a stand-out in this track: the song’s beginning starts strong, while harmonies lose a bit of strength by the pre-chorus and quickly recover with a powerful harmonic wall of voices. This track has a symphonic touch that is clearer than the rest of the album, reminiscent of Sabaton with a folkloric touch.
TRACK 08: Glorious
Track 8, Glorious, showcases the catchiest melodic line on the album. It features excellent vocal work featuring melodies that have an incredibly memorable quality to them. Towards the last minute of the song, synthesizers emphasize the song’s uplifting feel. Before the first verse begins, there’s an impressively well-controlled rapid hi-hat pattern that sets a tone of anticipation. There was less use of the double bass drum, working very well with the song. Overall, the song has a more “heavy metal” quality while still retaining the melody. This one is a definite earworm and album highlight for us.
TRACK 09: Volaråd
Volaråd, the album’s concluding track and recent single, is an undeniable anthem for live performances. The track opens with the (very catchy) chorus, following through with a lower-key first verse before raising the tension. The melody is highly dynamic, upbeat and even folkloric, most apparent during the chorus. The guitars and drums are much simpler, making Voltaire’s voice and overall orchestration really shine through. A solid conclusion to an impressive record.
Makes us thirsty for a refreshing “Volaråd” – not sure if we can manage the “cosmic hangover”, though!
The guitars and drums are much simpler, making Voltaire’s voice and overall orchestration really shine through. A solid conclusion to an impressive record.
Overall Impressions
If we were to characterize this album in a few words, we’d be remiss not to include: cinematic, theatrical, powerful, mythical, and a ton of fun to listen to. Honor, Power, Glory is a fantastic listen from start to finish: there is no track that you want to skip, and there’s something for everyone on this record. Folks who aren’t necessarily fans of power metal will find a lot to love about this one.
All tracks contain an essence of power and symphonic metal. From the musicality to the titles and lyrics, it’s embedded everywhere. Tracks are comparatively short for their genre, and that’s something that truly makes this production stand out to us: it’s melodic, it’s dynamic, and it keeps you hooked at every moment of each song without giving the listener an opportunity to lose their interest. The drums, performed and recorded by Cody Anstey (Osyron), were fast, precise, and dynamic. It’s evident that they were intentionally produced to engage the listener and support every other element in each track.
With a mix as good as this one, listeners can’t help but appreciate the elements the artists intended to emphasize – from layered vocals and harmonies, guitar solos, drums and percussive elements, orchestrations, and keys. The orchestration and keys are also noteworthy, playing a crucial role in the melodic and harmonic components. The drums, minimally compressed, are a welcome departure from the excess compression found in some of our old-school power metal favourites (Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica, and so on).
With Honor, Power, Glory, Glyph have masterfully blended the best, fundamental elements of power metal with genuine artistry and technical skill. Musically, these songs were made for a live performance experience – as luck has it, you can catch them in a city near you with Alestorm and Elvenking!
Release Date: March 29, 2024
Arrangements: Glyph
Recording: Glyph
Mixing/Mastering Engineer: Damien Rainaud (Mix Unlimited, Los Angeles)
Producer: Glyph
Studio Drums: Cody Anstey (Clarity Audio Group)
Vocal Editing: R. A. Voltaire
Guitar Editing: Jeff Black (Blacknote Music)
Album Cover: Moch Luthfi (@ luthslaughterart)
Glyph Logo: Daniel Porta (@ thepitforge)
Photo: Rob Zawistowski (RZcinema)
Album Layout: R. A. Voltaire
Printing and Manufacturing: Copycats Media
Guest Solos on Songs 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 By
Jeff Potts
