by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
There’s a sneaky great band out there called Lords of the Trident that clearly Power Metal fanatics are not hailing enough. What seemingly began as just a fun party band with fellow collegians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has turned into a group that has improved at every level–especially songwriting–and now should be considered rising stars as a 10+ year “overnight” sensation.
Eons (or years) ago, they released an album called Death or Sandwich. Truth. They wrote a song called “Rapeshore,” which is also true. When you hear their acoustic version of “Heart in the Fire” on their new acoustic album Pull the Plug, the growth will amaze you.
And as an aside, if you watch their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/lordsofthetrident), you’ll find they are both the most down to earth yet also funniest bands today. Their schtick as “The most Metal band on earth” is played to the hilt, but unlike a band like Manowar, Lords of the Trident are not only in on the joke, they are the ringleaders.
Opening with “Knights of Dragon’s Deep” off of Frostburn, you’ll hear instantly they can pull off the acoustic versions with aplomb. It turns a Metal anthem into a song that might make you want to dance. Well, dance with a Valkyrie and she’ll cut your head off and play kickball with it, but still … it’s bouncy. Like kickball.
The aforementioned “Heart in the Fire” is from Death or Sandwich and is better, just all around better, than the 2009 version. It may be the best song on the release … unless it’s “Face of the Enemy.” The groove here should turn you into a male or female slattern, if you have any angry sex drive at all.
There are two covers on Pull the Plug, Extreme’s “More Than Words” and the classic Kansas track “Dust in the Wind.” There’s a mountain of bravery for a band to cover these two songs, both musically and vocally, but this is Lords of the Trident. Lead singer Fang VonWrathenstein has one of those voices perfect for Power Metal, throaty and melodic, but where in the past you could say he is a pretty good singer, after hearing these songs, you’ll say he can “SANG.” Yes, there’s a difference.
Speaking of vocals, there’s a number of falsetto passages across the release, which fits with the acoustic vibe perfectly. But the BEST song, by far, no argument allowed for any reason is “Alone in Cole Hall.” The gents turned it from a frightening Metal song into a … love song. Somehow, a song likely influenced in part by the Cole Hall shooting at the University of Northern Illinois is now a seductive composition, where Fang is actually crooning. The falsetto at the end of the song, compared to the original version on Death or Sandwich, shows tremendous vocal growth while somehow being hilarious at the same time. Go figure … and the VIDEO, it’s amazing.
They close Pull the Plug with a warrior’s anthem, “Shattered Skies.” It’s a battlefield, it’s death and it’s everywhere. Sounds about right. The guitar playing on this track and every song is clear, precise, has soul when it needs it and a heaviness when it needs it more.
If you don’t know Lords of the Trident, you can start with Pull the Plug, but a better bet is to snag their newest release Shadows from the Past first, so you can get a taste in their true realm. If you are a longtime fan, this should wet your whistle with the gods’ saliva that created Kvasir or whatever you fill your leather flask with.
Genre: The Most Powerfully Powerful Power Metal
Band:
Fang VonWrathenstein – Lead Vocals
Baron Taurean Helleshaar – Lead Guitar
Asian Metal – Lead Guitar
Pontifex Mortis – Lead Bass
Master “Herc” Hercule Schlagzeuger – Lead Drums
Tracklisting:
1. Knights of Dragon’s Deep
2. Face of the Enemy
3. Heart in the Fire
4. More Than Words (Extreme cover)
5. The Longest Journey
6. The Metal Sea
7. Zero Hour
8. Chasing Shadows
9. Alone in Cole Hall
10. Dust in the Wind (Kansas cover)
11. Song of the Wind & Sea
12. Shattered Skies
Label: Killer Metal Records (Germany), Junko Johnson Records (USA)
Online:
http://lordsofthetrident.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.8 / 10)
