Review by Vladimir on August 13, 2024.

Woah boy! Who would have thought that this year of 2024 would be so generous with all these great upcoming releases, and amidst all of that we get the highly anticipated first full-length album by the Swiss heavy metal band Amethyst. These guys had become very attractive to classic heavy metal lovers worldwide due to the success of their first EP Rock Knights from 2022, but the excitement just got even bigger with the announcement of their first full-length album Throw Down The Gauntlet, due to be released on September 27th, 2024 via No Remorse Records. After some time has passed, let’s take a look at this wonderful gem and see if it’s still highly valuable to the heavy metal community. 

Amethyst nicely continues where they left off with their previous Rock Knights EP, once again showcasing some clean and shiny old-school heavy metal with pure rock and roll energy, hitting the gas with catchy melodic guitar riffs and powerful guitar solos that cut like hot knife through butter with excellent precision. Just like the last time, hardcore fans of this band will have the pleasure of experiencing their signature 70’s and 80’s heavy metal sound which literally time travels back to that golden era, incredibly authentic to the works of Thin Lizzy, Budgie, Saxon, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Demon, 70’s Judas Priest, 70’s Scorpions and early 80’s Iron Maiden, with the vocal performance of Fredric G. similar to Francis Rossi of the rock band Status Quo. Their new glorious anthems are done with such style and finesse which not only expands on their previous effort but also adds a whole new dimension to their music, taking you to different places with their display of excellent musicianship and sense of build-up that flows throughout every song. The best example of very breath-taking work is definitely 'Queen Of A Thousand Burning Hearts', which is perhaps the most powerful and magical song on the entire album that stands out from the rest for its progressive elements and it absolutely steals the show. If you were perhaps hungry to hear some moments that lean towards Iron Maiden from their first three or four albums, the seventh track 'Take Me Away' gives you exactly what you are looking for, because it truly rocks out with its Steve Harris-styled galloping bass lines, twin guitar melodies from the school of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, and the energetic drumming of Clive Burr. Overall, there is a lot of solid gold on this album that you are practically guaranteed to have a good time all the way through, especially because every song is like a work of art, as well as a wonderful love letter to your favorite classic records. 

Despite the predominant simplicity in the performance, their songwriting is very much dynamic on the entire album, especially since Throw Down The Gauntlet album has a lot more progression and much richer song structures in comparison to their previous Rock Knights EP. I was quite surprised that this album took the established foundation of that EP to another level with all the goods that Amethyst provides, and with a delivery like that it is simply impossible to not feel entertained throughout this journey. Their music has a lot of qualities that go from their clever songwriting to their overall great band performance, but I think what stood out to me a lot is that the songs are very capable of latching onto you with such heavy grip, especially because all these fantastic verses and amazing riffs crawl underneath your skin from the very get-go. It’s very hard these days to come up with an album that’s simple to follow along from start to finish but still effectively makes the listeners feel its magic, however, Amethyst have successfully done that by making every second count and not letting anything be lackluster in execution. It’s evident that the band was not relying on any template-based songwriting or trying to repeat their previously used tricks, especially because all the new songs feel very refreshing and leave no space for formulaic and repetitive work that many would resort to. I am most certain that elitists would criticize them for being a gimmick band that is just trying to replicate something from the past for the sake of pleasing the old-school heavy metal fanbase like the majority of uninspiring NWOTHM bands, but I would highly disagree with that, because what makes Amethyst so special is the fact that they put such care and effort in their songwriting, and yet their music has got such a soul that it’s just worthy of admiring for anyone that loves classic heavy metal. From a production standpoint, Throw Down The Gauntlet also provides a very clean and organic sound, once again very reminiscent of the notable works of the late Martin Birch, and I think this time everything feels more pronounced than their previous Rock Knights EP. 

Overall, I consider Throw Down The Gauntlet as a nicely packed collection of excellent songs that are always providing great entertainment and non-stop fun. I have already said before that these guys are an absolute gem worth finding, and this time I really mean it, because this album has an even stronger punch than any of their previous efforts, and it practically made this such a great performance that would seem very hard to top. I can’t wait to see what Amethyst comes up with next, because this really was pleasant and exciting all the way through, and I highly recommend that you check out Throw Down The Gauntlet when it’s released. 

Rating: 9 out of 10