Azeroth: Trails of Destiny | The Language Factor Does Not Alter the Product
(2025 – Cuervo Records)
It is noticeable how the perception of music can change depending on the language used to sing the vocals. In principle, and technically, it shouldn’t be a factor to take into account, but the practical reality is that it can vary in the final sound and how it is perceived. Perhaps the proof is this new album by the Argentine band Azeroth, who decided to release their album “Senderos Del Destino” in a new version, completely remastered and sung entirely in English.
It is very difficult for Latin bands to break into the metal scene, both in Europe and the United States, especially if the lyrics and vocals are in Spanish, or in the case of Brazil, in Portuguese. This is a verifiable fact. Local bands that have made it to the first world have generally done so because of their performance in English, as in the cases of the Brazilian bands Angra and Sepultura, to mention two emblematic examples. Not to mention the European bands themselves, which generally produce their work in English.
I believe that Azeroth’s decision does not necessarily mean that they are switching entirely to English, but rather that the band is simply trying to be more considerate than it is, especially in the Old World. At least that is the impression. And mind you, this isn’t the first time Azeroth has done this: we already know their English version of the album “Más Allá Del Caos” (“Beyond Chaos”) and the digital EP “Left Behind,” which gave us a little preview of what we have in this “Trails Of Destiny.”
What is “Trails Of Destiny” about? Well, nothing more and nothing less than the album “Senderos Del Destino,” sung entirely in English, with some extra additions. For example, “Prelude To Oblivion,” a cover of the Brazilian band Viper, and the inclusion of the well-known song “La Promesa,” from their first album, but here in an English version (“The Promise”).
The rest is, in short and as we mentioned, the album “Senderos Del Destino” translated and adapted into English. This was achieved by adapting the original recordings and adding the vocals of Iggy Rod, lead singer of Azeroth, recorded in November and December 2024. Added to this is a new mix and mastering, carried out in 2025, giving the original sound of the album a facelift.
As if that weren’t enough, the well-known Fabio Lione adds his powerful voice to the track “Trails Of Destiny,” giving it a personality that only the Italian can provide.
We won’t delve too deeply into an album already familiar to those of us who know and follow Azeroth. Without a doubt, “Senderos Del Destino” is one of their best albums, and logically, “Trails Of Destiny” is not far behind, even improving on what the band has already done, including some bonus tracks that enhance the list of original songs.
The album kicks off with “Hands Of Fate,” a tremendous power metal track in the style of Azeroth. Next up is the aforementioned “Trails Of Destiny,” featuring Fabio Lione on vocals, which gives a different and special flavor to a great song. Incidentally, it’s worth noting that this song also has a version sung by Iggy Rod, which is equally impressive.
There are also songs such as “The Last Journey,” which is mid-tempo and epic ballad-like, and the well-known “Left Behind,” perhaps Azeroth’s most aggressive side, with a tone closer to traditional heavy metal.
“Aenigmas” moves within the power metal spectrum, while ‘Urd’ shows a more epic side. “Ancient Trails” shows a more progressive Azeroth, while “Exiled” surprises with a vocalization more typical of death metal, in a very deep song that seeks something different.
What follows are “extras” not found on the original version of this album. Among them is “The Promise,” a re-recording of an Azeroth classic, obviously covered in English. We also find Viper’s cover, “Prelude To Oblivion,” and the aforementioned version of “Trails Of Destiny.”
The audio of “Trails Of Destiny” was, as we mentioned, updated with a new mix and remastering. The result is truly powerful, putting Azeroth on a par with a first-world band, without a doubt. The orchestrations included sound really powerful and accompany the band’s base at a superlative level.
In terms of design, it is identical to its Spanish counterpart, with the difference that it has a great presentation, with the well-known OBI (that classic sleeve found in Japanese collector’s editions), and a truly amazing, high-quality booklet with allegorical illustrations accompanying the lyrics of each song included on the album. Truly a great work of production, design, and graphic art that enhances what is one of Azeroth’s best works.
I don’t know if the idea of translating a great album like “Senderos Del Destino” into English is really effective. Obviously, it’s worth a try, mainly to launch and introduce the metal world to a great band like Azeroth. In that sense, we think it’s perfect. On the other hand, this English version allows us to appreciate Azeroth’s music and the songs from “Senderos Del Destino” from a different perspective.
The album, it seems, has only been released on compact disc for now, but perhaps a vinyl version would not be a bad idea. To find out more about this edition and how to get it, we recommend contacting the label “Cuervo Records” at https://www.facebook.com/CuervoRecords. And of course, here are Azeroth’s social media accounts so you can follow the band and find out all the latest news about them. As usual, here is a lyric video, in this case for “Trails Of Destiny,” sung by Fabio Lione….
https://www.facebook.com/azerothmetal
https://www.instagram.com/azerothmetal
