Thy Majestie
ShiHuangDi

The majestic guys from Italy are back, with their seventh album which is another conceptual one. This time they have taken a trip to the orient, China to be more specific. Qin Shi Huang who became the first emperor of China is the one portrayed in the story of this album which is supposed to be a new chapter for Thy Majestie who returns to their home at Scarlet records after one album on another label. It is an album being said to adhere to the trademark sound of the band but it is the first time they have set their sights on the far east so something new might be there as well. At least the cover artwork promises something like that.

We are speaking power metal with the addition of a symphonic elements much as many other Italian bands have done, it is a bit more straightforward than the giants of the scene, Rhapsody, but still it has a pompous majestic sound. It is a conceptual album telling the story in eleven chapters and around fifty minutes, and the story is told well as they have even added a touch of an oriental sound maybe to enhance the story. The production is excellent giving a soundscape that really works and tells a story, it is clear that these guys has been doing this for a while. In short you could describe it as symphonic power metal in the style that we have heard from this band before but with a touch of oriental music to spice it up just a little bit. I would say that this is a high quality product seen to the sound and those aspects.

But it is not only the sound aspect that is impressive with this album, the story is greatly told through the album and this without using spoken words and tricks that some of their countrymen use. It is powerful and the story is being well told as I pointed out, no track really stands out even though I think the two ending this story is slightly better than the other tracks on the album. Fabio Lione famed for singing with for instance Rhapsody does a guest appearance on the second to last song, this was something I didn’t know until I read it in the promo information. I thought it was Alessio doing the vocals all through the album but apparently Fabio makes a cameo here and I can’t complain over his appearance.

I have followed this band since their second album The Lasting Power and they have always been good but gotten better over the years and now with this album I would say that they are better than ever. This album comes together in a way none of Thy Majestie’s earlier album has done, the pieces of the puzzle all fit together this time and the result is impressive. This album is one that I really enjoy listening to, it ticks all the right boxes for a music fan and despite being in a genre where there are quite a bit of music and many sound similar they have managed to niche themselves just enough and now they have used all their experience to make one impressive album that I will not leave just because this review is done.

If you are a fan of Italian styled symphonic metal I am certain you will find this most brilliant, even if you are not you will most likely enjoy this album as it is a really good one. Never before have I heard Thy Majestie piece together an album as complete as this one. It is one hell of an album, definitely a competitor for Sound Storm for Hollywood metal album of the year.