Review FER DE LANCE “Fires on the Mountainside”

“Fires on the Mountainside” is the second album from American metal band Fer De Lance. The band first gained attention in 2022 with the release of their debut album, “The Hyperborean” . In 2025, the band built on the buzz around their debut album and shipped “Fires on the Mountainside” to record stores.

The four-piece band from Chicago picks up where they left off with their 2022 album. Broadly speaking, we can describe the quartet’s sound as epic metal. Fer De Lance’s sound is characterised by the combination of traditional heavy metal with ancient elements and folk influences, all of which can be heard in the bombastic opener.

The band begins the album with the title track. While this may not be a big surprise, kicking off an album with a 12-minute opus is unusual. What could easily have ended up as a lengthy piece of music is actually the opposite. “Fires on the Mountainside” is a dramatic and versatile opener that showcases the full spectrum of Fer De Lance’s musical repertoire. Equipped with anthemic vocals and heavy riffs, the band creates a special atmosphere. When I heard the song, I was reminded of bands like Atlantean Kodex, as well as earlier material by Virgin Steele. The latter comes with the high-pitched screams of singer MP, and some of the folk-enriched musical parts will bring Rainbow to mind.

Fer de Lance’s music has a certain depth and versatility. Songs such as the gloomy ‘Death Thrives (Where Walls Divide)’ are massive musical statements, while the album also features songs such as ‘Fire & Gold’. Rather than a roaring, loud riff attack, we listen to a half-acoustic tune that showcases the band’s musical richness. Intense vocals and a great backing choir are key elements of this special song, which is followed by the majestic riff of ‘The Feast of Echoes’.

The anthemic “Children of the Sky and Sea” is another versatile piece of work, showing that these four musicians are masters of their craft.

“Fires on the Mountainside” is a great album, and fans of epic metal should definitely check out these seven songs. With the right amount of melody, the heavy, anthemic songs are an atmospheric treat for fans of well-crafted metal. It’s a timeless metal album and horns up!