Royal Altar: Warrior's Dance |

Metal Warriors

(Legions Records/Heavy Metal Throne – 2024)

When I have the opportunity to listen to albums like this one, my heart swells with hope and I come to the conclusion that all is not lost. Heavy Metal knows no boundaries, times, or fads, and Royal Altar, with their first full-length album, reminds us of the essence of Metal by delivering an album that is both powerful and epic.
Royal Altar is a band from Thessaloniki, Greece, a country that has been producing some great bands in recent times. Warrior’s Dance is their first album, preceded by a few singles that the band has been releasing in digital format, heralding the release of this work.
The first words that come to mind when you listen to “Warrior’s Dance” for the first time are “Heavy Metal” and “Epic,” two concepts that go hand in hand and have remained unchanged for years, except for a few unsuccessful experiments that muddied the waters a bit.

The difference is that Royal Altar is influenced by the Epic Heavy Metal of the early days, the 1980s, with bands such as Virgin Steele, Omen, and Manilla Road being names to keep in mind when listening to “Warrior’s Dance,” an album that may not deliver anything surprising but which plants its flag and stands out in a genre such as Epic Heavy Metal. The compositions that make up the album are of high quality and musicality, with songs that are neither boring nor distracting, maintaining the very essence of the genre.
Thus, “Warrior’s Dance” has a well-defined concept and an unshakable structure, founded on solid foundations by a classic lineup (guitars, bass, and drums), adding some keyboard sounds and female vocals that are an extra spice to what Royal Altar offers us. There is a clear inclination towards chords and rhythms from classical music, with a general concept based on warrior-like and Epic Heavy Metal, with hard riffs, a firm base, and just the right melodies to hook any self-respecting metalhead.
A great riff, partly groovy, kicks off “Beware,” a semi-stuck march with a great chorus, the kind that makes you raise your fist in the air. If that’s not a great start, what follows with “Hold Your Head High” doesn’t disappoint at all. Between clean guitar playing and strong riffs, Royal Altar delivers another great shot.
In “Hot Gates,” the epic feel that Royal Altar brings to their music is evident in a fast-paced song that brings them closer to Power Metal and recounts the famous story of the Battle of Thermopylae, in which only 300 warriors faced a much larger army, while “I Am The One” is a song partly influenced by Iron Maiden, a mid-tempo, galloping track. “Royal Altar” is not only the name of the band, but also the fifth track on this album. A song with a great riff and chorus that partly explains the band’s name.
“Warrior’s Dance,” meanwhile, in addition to being the album’s title track, is somewhat reminiscent of Eric Adams’ vocals from Manowar, in an epic piece that is one of the best on the album. With great orchestration and choruses, it showcases a great composition with a lot of versatility and musicality. Truly a gem.
What can be said about “Metal”? Its title leaves no place for doubt. Its riff makes you bang your head from the very first moment and delivers Metal from the very beginning. It is impossible not to identify with this great song that rescues the true essence of heavy metal. Meanwhile, “Just Free” is somewhat reminiscent of Maiden in its riffs, with a clear message about the new winds of neoliberalism.
“An Eagle Will Rise Up” is the ballad of the album, beautiful, magical, full of feeling in its composition. It is truly moving and another of the album’s highlights (of which there are many). Finally, we have an instrumental. “Heavenly Path” is a musical piece with great orchestration of guitars and keyboards in the background, which together with the bass and percussion compose a piece with a lot of classical music influence, as if to finish off an album that is already impeccable.
The album, like all debut records, has its great moments, it must be said, but it is also focused on a genre that is not very accessible to the rest of mere mortals who are looking for something more “modern”, it must also be said. What sets Royal Altar apart is that they may be taking the more difficult path, but they are genuine in what they do and how they perform. The work in the composition and arrangements is evident. It really is a very good album that, in the future, with a bigger budget and better sound, could lead to something even more powerful.
I found Royal Altar’s lyrics very interesting. Unlike the usual message of Christian bands, the Greeks use epic poetry, ancient history, and even social and political themes as the basis for their clear and precise message.

As for this physical edition, which is limited to 300 copies, it’s worth noting that the cover art is in line with what the band represents and the concept of the album. We really liked it, and in relation to the rest of the physical edition, it’s worth noting that the inner sleeve has excellent graphic quality, featuring the lyrics of the songs and a photo of the band. Excellent work.
The album was recorded at Valve Studios (in Thessaloniki, Greece), mixed and mastered by Stratos “Strutter” Karagiannidis, known for his work with artists such as Gus G. and Firewind. The sound achieved suits the band well, without too much embellishment or sound effects, but with a mix in which all the sounds that the band incorporates can be appreciated.
In conclusion, we can say that “Warrior’s Dance” does not disappoint at all. It has just the right songs to make it a great album. It’s true, we’re not going to discover anything new here, but that’s not Royal Altar’s idea. Instead, they aim to rescue the essence of a genre that was never very popular, such as Epic Heavy Metal, even at the cost of not being the great “revelation” of Metal. However, they do have the respect of those of us who love Heavy Metal, and that’s what matters.
The truth is that this is their first album, which is no small feat. It’s a big step for Royal Altar, and if the path forward is the one that Warrior’s Dance shows us, there’s no doubt that we and metal will be grateful.
To get in touch with the band, here are Royal Altar’s contact details and some of the singles the band has released on social media.

https://www.facebook.com/royalaltarband