Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron (SEGA! Epic Heavy Metal)

 

You guys been like playing that Sega Genesis Nintendo stuff man? To be honest when someone dares name themselves after a totally overrated 16-bit fighting game you can’t expect much. SEGA (you scream)! Maybe it’s just coincidence though, I don’t know, actually it is. The name Eternal Champion comes from some fantasy literature stuff, and that’s probably just as bad most of the time, but anyway these guys actually ended up being surprisingly good so, like, let’s learn more about Ravening Iron and see how that’s possible since the stereotypes seem like the only thing eternal in heavy metal.

   

This album absolutely succeeds in its blatant adherence to form and simplicity. Eternal Champion craft solid riff action, plainly, and the vocals are casting themselves over the mountains and chasms with a steely echo as you roll the d100 to check for STD poisoning on your half-elf. That’s right, it’s got that vibe going for it immediately. Thoughts of Sheila in her magical cloak come in your head and you swear to God Unearthed Arcana is a viable addition to the gaming system. See it sounds like I’m ripping on them, but Ravening Iron is totally enjoyable. It’s practically amazing for that considering how straightforward it is, but that’s likely because Eternal Champion knows what they’re doing to the extent that it sounds like it’s been “their thing” since the 1980s but actually it hasn’t even been a decade yet. Solid heavy metal with a fantasy edge, that’s all you need, I even broke with tradition and reviewed this one in spite of their “over 10k fans” status. SEGA.

 

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Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron
No Remorse Records, Sword Worship
Cover Art: Ken Kelly
4.3 / 5