LYCANTHRO- Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (EP Review)

LYCANTHRO – Bio

Horns up! It’s time to prepare for the arrival of the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse. Not talking about Ric Flair’s band of WCW wrestlers, but instead the sophomore EP from Ottawa’s Lycanthro.

It was February of last year when I was introduced to this band via their debut self titled release. When I reviewed the debut, I clearly remember thinking what these guys could be capable of with a little more experience and a better studio production. I didn’t have to wait too long to find out. The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse EP is available now!

Some lineup changes have occurred since the first release. James Delbridge (vocals/lead guitar) and David Shute (guitar) remain, with the additions of Carlo Cote (bass) and Nathan Shuman (drums).

LYCANTHRO- Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

Right off the top, Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse is light years ahead of the debut in songwriting, performance and most notably in production. If you enjoy good classic power metal, then you NEED to check this shit out!

“Conquest” ushers in the EP. The opening riff is infectious and immediately I noticed the difference in James’s vocal performance. Gone are the moments of straining, replaced by a confidence and power that sometimes lacked on the debut. Guitars are crunchy and crystal clear in the mix. Great head banging fodder!!!

The scream at the beginning of “Fog Of War” is pure metal and again points to the performance improvements on this release. This is my favourite track, guitar solo is a complete face melter. Has something of an Anthrax feel to me.

“Plague the Land/King Of Decay” opens with up slow dark and moody before morphing into a mid tempo epic. Very melodic, with a heaping helping of tasty guitar play. A dash of Maiden, a little Priest, but all metal.

I think I may have used the word “epic” prematurely. I introduce to you, “Pale Rider“! Almost 14 minutes with special guest Jacques Belanger (Assassins Creed, Exciter) on vocals. This track is a feast of all things metal. Soaring screams, crunching head banging guitar riffs and even some hauntingly beautiful piano. A huge track tha,t for some reason, had me thinking about the first Queensryche Ep and that is high praise from me.

Lastly, a shout out to artist Alexander Von Wielding for the outstanding album cover. Awesome to see bands put forth the effort. Almost gone are the days of flipping through the album art, choosing records based on cool artwork. This cover is beyond cool.

I closed out my first Lycanthro review stating I needed to see them live. I will close out this one with the same sentiment. TIMES TEN! Four Horsemen kicks some serious ass.

Buy: Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse