Review by Brexaul on January 2, 2021.

I mostly knew about Orion’s Reign (what a nice name) as a cartoon band, since after their very worthy debut Nuclear Winter, they went down a very weird path of seeking a fast way to fame by utilizing collaborations with YouTubers doing silly covers rather than actually writing any music, so I was mostly indifferent about their progress and their eventual transformation to a full-fledged Christmas-song cover troupe.

Enter Scores of War. Taking a big bite out of the symphonic metal pie of Rhapsody and the likes, this album is very well crafted, with overall great songs, amazing musicianship and some truly memorable moments. Not every album needs to invent the wheel or be revolutionary so the successful formula of Rhapsody (or Gloryhammer if you prefer a more recent example) works great here, with the keyboards doing all the heavy lifting and the guitars waiting patiently for the solo sections to go bananas. The vocals are a bit too over the top but very well executed, hitting some impossible notes. I’d prefer a more “controlled” performance that could give some more depth to the songs and showcase the singer’s full capabilities better, but the whole album is built this way, so it works within context. We also have the mandatory guest appearances with Mark Boals giving an excellent performance on 'Last Stand', Tim “Ripper” Owens totally killing it on 'Together We March' and Minniva Børresen shining on 'Nostos', adding to the overall experience.

The album is very well mixed and the sound is polished and crisp, as this specific genre requires. The rhythm section is solid, although I’d like to hear a bit more bass in the mix, but again, it’s symphonic metal so you can’t expect any Steve Di Giorgios in there. My only true issue with the album is that the lack of guitar riffing becomes painfully obvious after a couple of listens since for the most part the guitars are shouting “put me in coach” until the solo section comes. It doesn’t take too much from the overall experience, but the album could be significantly heavier (read: better) if the guitars had enjoyed the attention of the keyboards.

Scores of War is professional, where Nuclear Winter was demo-ish and the progress is undeniable. With some small tweaks here and there, Orion’s Reign could well be the next big name in the symphonic metal scene, let’s hope we don’t get the full “whatever anime is hot right now” metal versions before they come up with their next album.

Standout tracks: 'Together We March', 'The Gravewalker', 'Last Stand'

Rating: 8 out of 10