Album Review: Triumpher - Piercing The Heart Of The World
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Formed in their native Athens in 2019, Greek warriors, Triumpher, still led by guitarist Christopher Tsakiropoulos and singer, Mars Triumph, have returned for their third studio album, Piercing the Heart of the World. Coming a couple of years after the close releases of the 2023 debut, Storming the Walls, and its follow-up Spirit Invictus a year later, this new record goes further to solidify Triumpher’s growing reputation as one of Europe’s most reliable Epic Power Metal exponents.
Having shared stages with the likes of Grave Digger, Primordial, Midnight and Tom G’s Triumph of Death, this Greek quintet – completed by bassist Stelios Zoumis and drummer Agis Tzoukopoulos, alongside guitarist, Mario Ñ Peters – are as unashamedly Metal as they come. Taking influences from the stalwarts of the genre, Piercing the Heart of the World is manna to anyone with a penchant for that European Eighties bombast, with every one of the album’s seven – not counting the interlude – tracks ticking all of the chest-beating, fist-pumping, horns-aloft anthems the fan-base expect – no, demand of their Metal.
Black Blood get the ball rolling with the sound of a raging storm, and it doesn’t take long for Triumpher’s symphonic majesty to put a bit of wind and rain into context. Agis’ drum-kicks are imperious, and his percussive tolling death bells adds to the overall mythological nature of the album. There’s very much a Priest feel to the widescreen nature of the music, one that is heard weaving its way throughout the record.
The Flaming Sword has an upbeat chug and a killer solo to go with its big chorus, sounding all the world like the intent of Manowar; Destroyer starts with some Speed Metal scratching and fast and furious riffing, the galloping guitars and gang vocals giving the thrashing feel of Iced Earth, more so when the symphonic darkness sounds akin to the infernal interlude of Horror Show’s track, Damien.
There’s a slow baroque piece, understatedly called Vault of Immortals that finds Mars in a particularly sombre mood, and Erinyes blast with black metal intensity and blistering fretboard runs for the most musically savage moments on the record.
But no self-respecting Power Metal album is going to neglect some epic tunes, and Piercing the Heart of the World has three. The Mountain Throne is all about that big subject matter, creating atmosphere through the interplay between meaty guitars and delicate keys. The second half of the tune foregoes any subtlety and forges ahead, lead by Stelios’ bass, into the grandeur of the titular throne as the guitars scream like the rage of Achilles himself.
Following on from that comes Ithaca (Return of the Eternal King) in which the guitars evoke the gentle breeze in Odysseus’ sails as he nears home. Atmospheric and with a huge vocal presence, this telling of the final parts of The Odyssey, makes you feel the salt-water hitting your face as the waves crash against the bow. As land appears into view, the music swells and Mars’ voice adopts a Dickinson-like tone, as the end of the Ithacan king’s twenty-year journey is close to its end.
Triumpher return to Homer and the subject of Trojan War for the epic album closer, Naus Apidalia, which draws the record to a suitably bombastic conclusion, and includes a little nod to fellow Hellenics, Rotting Christ, in a lick as it comes out of its ambient mid-section respite.
I’m not the world’s biggest Power Metal fan, but I had a blast with Piercing the Heart of the World’s overblown presentation and unabashed bombast. I’ve seen enough to know this will be hungrily lapped up by the Metal Warriors around the world and they will turn out in their hordes when Triumpher come to town.
Are you supposed to sharpen a plastic sword, does anybody know? Asking for a friend.
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