Five years after their full-length debut and three since their excellent “The Daemon’s Strain” EP, ADAMANTIS return with “Reforged”, their tightest and most direct release to date. Released via No Remorse Records, this is a full-blooded glass of Heavy Metal. Just under 42 minutes, “Reforged” feels like a calculated strike compared to the journey that was “Far Flung Realm”. That first album had its charm in scope and scale, but this one goes straight for the jugular with sharper hooks and a more immediate impact. The band hasn’t abandoned their soaring melodic sensibility or their love for fantasy themes. It still remains! ‘Ride For Ruin’ opens with a pace and classic gallops, delivering a band that has something to tell you (and they do it convincingly from the first second). When I listened to the guitars on ‘Steelclad’, I immediately felt the connection with this song. And it took me (for some reason) to a song like ‘Night Crawler’ (JUDAS PRIEST). And I know they’re different (I know) but I felt kind of the vibe somewhere.‘Steelclad’ leans on a slower, more deliberate channel, letting the vocals soar with power. The title chant will be echoing in our heads long after the album ends. ADAMANTIS is here, playing to their strengths, with those twin guitar harmonies that glide and slice, drumming that keeps the whole thing locked in without ever sounding mechanical, and vocals that fell from the same stone as the legends of the genre. What I liked the most is that they don’t sound like they’re trying to recreate the past, they sound like they belong in it and I really like that! Let me go to tracks like ‘The Sailor On The Seas Of Fate’ or ‘Time Of Contempt’ because I found they give the album that sense of narrative and dynamic pacing, both helping to anchor the back half of the album before it jumps back up for the final charge. The closing track, or depending on how you view it, ‘The Fall Of Asterius’ (CD bonus track), is an absolute ripper, almost outshining the actual final one, ‘Gates Of Miklagard’, which itself is no other thing than spectacular, lighting up the album with melodic highs and enough grit to leave a mark. Such an amazing song! However, ‘The Fall Of Asterius’ is where the band goes for a fiery, galloping horse. “Reforged” doesn’t try to outdo “Far Flung Realm” in any sense, it simply sharpens the blade and strikes with more precision. There’s no filler here. Every track has a place, every chorus lands, and the momentum never dips. ADAMANTIS have found a way to condense their epic spirit into something leaner and arguably more impactful. An absolute beauty here! More info here: www.facebook.com/adamantisband, www.facebook.com/noremorserecordsgreece