Since listening to the new Sumerlands album last week, I've been pulled down into a (traditional) heavy metal wormhole. Said wormhole has luckily brought me to the majestic sound of Eternal Champion. Featuring members of Iron Age, Power Trip, Graven Rite, and a few other hard-hitting acts, Eternal Champion is a band clearly inspired by the likes of Cirith Ungol and Jag Panzer. Like the groups that influenced them, the Texas outfit packs a ton of melody into their twin-guitar-lead songwriting, and frontman Jason Tarpey's commanding presence in the vocal booth is the cherry on top.
"The Armor of Ire" is the title track to Eternal Champion's forthcoming album on No Remorse Records, and it's a perfect introduction to the band. The driving opening riffs and verse are pure '80s metal worship that set the stage for the group's sword and sandal-approved lyrics. Tying it back to the aforementioned Sumerlands, that band's producer and guitarist, Arthur Rizk, also handles the drum throne in Eternal Champion, and he does a smashing job on "The Armor of Ire." I'm not sure if he's a permanent member of the band, but I wouldn't be mad if he was.
So, whether you call it "epic," "fantasy," and/or "Dungeons & Dragons" metal, Eternal Champion are here to quench your thirst for that kind of sound.
The Armor of Ire is out on September 27th via No Remorse Records, and will be available on Eternal Champion's Bandcamp page.
