Review SCEPTOR “Wrath of the Gods”

The German metal band Sceptor was founded in southwestern Germany in 2009 and released a debut album called “Take Command!” in 2012. Apparently, there wasn’t enough command to maintain the band’s career, as it ended in 2014.

Five years later, Sceptor reunited and released a second album, “Rise of the Light.” However, with frontman Bob Mitchell having suffered a stroke in 2023, the band needed to fill a vacancy, and Florian Reimann stepped in.

“Wrath of the Gods” is Sceptor’s third album and the first with Reimann’s vocals. His versatile singing is a great addition to the German metal band’s music. After the last notes of the dramatic “Intro” fade away, we enter “Legion.” The latter is a galloping, oldschool metal track. Sceptor isn’t creating a musical revolution. Instead, they offer well-crafted heavy metal with roots in New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWoBHM) and traditional metal from the ’80s. They do so in a pleasing way, though.

“Hades & Zeus” shows a shift in gears. It’s an up-tempo headbanger that highlights Reimann’s vocal range. The following “Slave of Power” continues the pattern of the previous metal smasher.

The pulsating “Eternal Death” is a badass headbanger, while screaming guitars characterize “Poseidon.” A dramatic five-minute track ends the album. “Throne of the Damned” begins with an acoustic introduction before transitioning into a mid-paced metal song that exemplifies the band’s songwriting prowess.

Sceptor delivers with “Wrath of the Gods,” their new album, the third one in all these many years. It is a solidly crafted release that avoids uncharted territory. Sceptor’s newest album is fueled by the passion of the band members and the vocals of Florian Reimann, a true metal siren.