Description
Active since 2007, Sweden’s Cult Of The Fox has released three demos and two full-length albums. After a five year absence, and the addition of second guitarist Fredrik Theander, the band returned with their third album By The Styx in April of 2018. Cult Of The Fox plays a modern version of traditional heavy metal, mixed with speed metal and a small side of doom metal. They draw influences from a broad spectrum of traditional metal bands: Judas Priest to Dio, Iron Maiden to Manowar, Candlemass to Gravedigger. Their music deals in the fundamentals of the genre including twin guitar harmony in the riffage, thrilling guitar solos, a strong rhythm section for both gallop and groove, and generally clean vocals that follow both the melody and harmony. Yet Magnus Hultman can sometimes have a raw to scream delivery. Call his vocal style assertive, yet with a darker tone. After this I found that the guitar lines in both riffage and solos were the most impressive thing about any Cult Of The Fox song. Traditional metal turns on terrific guitar solos, and there’s plenty here. Most songs within By The Styx move at a quick pace, veering towards power metal, such as Siege From The Sky, Return To The Burning, and Nightmaster. But the true speed monster comes with Shuttin’ ‘Em Down, a brisk number at less than two and a half minutes. With Bones Alley, Cult Of The Fox moderates the pacing and, with the thick bottom end, has a bit doom quality. You’ll find the same doom metal motif at the beginning and end of The Damnation of Albert Caneham, the longest song here. In between, it’s a mixture of moderation in the first half, quickness and thrilling solos in the back half. All in all, for a modern presentation of classic and traditional heavy metal, Cult Of The Fox hits the mark with their latest album, By The Styx. Recommended.
Track list:
1. Siege From The Sky
2. By The Styx
3. Killing The Black Dog
4. Riddle Of Steel
5. Blackfriar’s Bridge
6. Nightmaster
7. Bones Alley
8. A Warrior Reborn
9. Return To The Burning
10. The Damnation Of Albert Caneham
11. Shuttin’ ‘Em Down