Review by Lynxie on July 10, 2023.

Now, Silent Winter's Empire Of Sins was one of my more random discoveries back in early 2021. The recent Power Paladin review I'd done sort of brought the Greeks back in my mind, the vocalist Mike Livas in particular. Indeed, I'm verily impressed by how charming the LP still sounds when I'd revisited it a few days earlier. Mature instrumentation (the band has its roots back in 1995, duh), excellent songwriting and Livas with his insane range all make Empire Of Sins one of the most brilliant releases of recent years.

Right, let me fangirl a bit over Livas first. Man, he's got a fucking massive range. Just listen to how effortlessly he slides from those gritty Andy B. Franck like growls to raspy, Yannis reminiscent yowls and back again. Really, just when you think he can't go any higher, Livas starts to climb the scales gradually on that second verse of 'Shout'. You need to hear it to be mind blown by the sheer power of the man. And Livas managed to deliver some real emotional lines on the power ballad 'Where The River Flows' as well, which is always a bonus point.

Okay, maybe the ballad's epicness and progginess is more owed to the axe-slingers Kiriakos Balanos's excellent and generally old-schooled songwriting. Honestly though, how can you not love the speed power attack that is the 'Gates Of Fire', or the 'Eagles Fly Free'-hailing 'Mirror', or the catchy, anthemic 'Shout' and 'Dragons Dance', or that pounding marcher of a title track? It's not just about those sweet crispy power metal riffing and slick shredding solos that bear some damn nice resemblance to their fellow countrymen, Firewind, either. Silent Winter has got the grandiose orchestras dotted here and there to add a bit of dimension, like that almost cinematic opening on 'Mirror', and the title track would surely miss its power without that ringing synth in the background. The only potential filler here is probably 'Wings Of Destiny', but it's still got a massive chorus and Yngwie worshiping solos, so I'll give them a pass despite the slower verses.

And never forget Vaggelis Tsekouras's raunchy bassline delivered throughout with such force and clarity. I especially adore their fist-raising, sing-along moments on 'Shout' and 'Dragons Dance' because of the clear bass. They induce those insulins like no other instrument. So yeah, probably John Antonopoulos is the only one lacking here; I find his kit-smashing missing certain dynamics. He sounds like he's sort of just there, and doing nothing much else, especially on more mid-tempo tracks like 'Wings Of Destiny' and 'Hunter's Oath', where the pace makes his lacking all too obvious.

Nonetheless, I find Empire Of Sins a masterpiece. This is a sure treat for any power metal fans who like Brainstorm or earlier Helloween with some Maiden thrown in for good measure. It certainly crushes the wimps we get these days from Nuclear Blast.

Highlights: 'Shout', 'Dragons Dance', 'Empire Of Sins'

Rating: 9.9 out of 10