Cauldron Born - ... And Rome Shall Fall
Underground Symphony
Epic Power Metal
8 songs (51'01")
Release year: 2002
Underground Symphony
Reviewed by Alex

Cauldron Born is a band from Georgia, USA releasing albums on the Italian label Underground Symphony known for its Epic Power Metal acts (Skylark is there, anyway). What you get out of this combination is still Epic Power Metal, but with the touch of brooding American manliness.

I do not have much info on this band, but it is clear to me from the songwriting credits that the leader and inspiration for the band is their guitar player Howie Bentley. He composed all the music and wrote all the lyrics on the album. Deservedly then, his guitar grabs a center stage as well. I recall once reading or listening to an interview with John Schaffer of Iced Earth saying how tight rhythm guitar playing and chops are more important to a Metal band than leads and solos. Well, John, you just met your rival in Howie in terms of riffs tightness. I wouldn't be actually surprised that Howie studied a little bit Schaffer's style of playing as it reminds me a lot of Iced Earth. To beat the master though Bentley plays his own solos. As songs on ... And Rome Shall Fall are quite lengthy, 6-7 minutes long, the solos provide nice breakups and focus points. I would even say that Jag Panzer like technicality shone through at times. Another memorable point of the album is the vocals. David Louden's high end will bring the memories of Midnight (yes, him!) and Harry "The Tyrant"Conklin to mind. I wish David had a little bit of a lower register in him as most of the time he just soars way above in the stratosphere without bothering to come down to Earth. The rhythm section is steady. Bass guitar is one neverending rumble, and drums are mostly doing a full-speed double bass. By the end of the album it would be very difficult to separate songs apart. Really, the only different drum pattern is a solo in Storming the Castle similar to the one in Manowar's 28 min epic on The Triumph of Steel.

The best songs on the album come at the beginning. The first three tracks seem better than the rest of the material. Or was it just me getting a little bored with the saminess? The lyrics are Barbarian/Viking/Pagan inspired. I understand that this requires the fast, battle oriented rhythms. But, c'mon, guys, the Vikings also marched and swayed to their songs, not only ran full throttle at the enemy.

In the end, ... And Rome Shall Fall had me singing along and throwing my fist in the air, qualities I always look for in the Epic Power Metal genre. It is just my hand got a little tired. I would admit, that with this genre not being my favorite, more devoted fans may find the album even more rewarding than I did. I'd say that regular Metalreviews readers would be wise to explore Cauldron Born.

Killing Songs :
By This Axe I Rule, ...And Rome Shall Fall, Finder Of The Black Stone
Alex quoted 77 / 100
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