Review by Felix on February 28, 2024.

Is there a hammering in the mountain? Does someone forge a red-hot iron underground? I don’t think so, but Dauƥuz take us back to archaic times. They are a reminder of the hardships that people have taken on in order to lead a slightly better life. Of course, they give the historic, pretty archaic scenario a poetic touch. Nevertheless, their main lyrical topics (ancient mining, nature, mysticism) lend them a relatively unique approach.

And that’s not all. The music itself advances into overwhelming dimensions. Not always, but a lot of times. Whenever the duo offers an outbreak of great, powerful emotions, based on titanic melodies, I feel drawn into the album irresistibly. So much triumph, so much pain, so much drama. The atmosphere is really fantastic on “Vom schwarzen Schmied - Bergkgesænge”. The silent beginning of “Mein Berg” with synthesizer and piano sets the stage perfectly. Drums and guitars join the introduction. The tension rises in an upward curve and ends in wild, Latin choirs that lead into an adventurous verse. Dauƥuz are able to create an encompassing storm with powerful vocals, murderous guitars and a quite opulent quantum of melody. But their passionate outbursts are no end in itself. Calm sequences have also found their place here and both sides of the album add value to it.

Sacral, multi-voiced sequences are another important, characteristic feature of the album. Valkyrie-like, Graveland-compatible background vocals accompany the raging yet harmonic guitar lines in a great manner from time to time, but the performance of lead vocalist Syderyth G. crowns the album. He always strikes the right tones in a very powerful and charismatic way. While doing so, he supports the vibes of the music in an extremely great and impressive way. The fascinating, monumental “Der Eid” alone holds many examples of his outstanding skills. Sometimes his voice and the music sound like a more metallic and much better edition of In Extremo, but the duo shows an affinity for the Middle Ages in general. Nevertheless, “Vom schwarzen Schmied – Bergkgesænge” does not lack profound heaviness in any way. Okay, “Desperation” and “Cognito” are only carried by acoustic guitars and vocals, but they convince due to their gloomy aura. Nevertheless, the grim bombast of outbursts like “Zauberwerk” or “Sagenlieder” (what a gargantuan centre of the album) present the most exciting moments of the duo’s art. And I may not forget that the band has also integrated some spooky, almost fragile guitar lines that send exactly these showers down my spine which I always feel when I listen to Pest’s masterpiece “Dauđafærd”. It seems as if these guitar tones walk the very thin line between life and death. That’s just gigantic.

Are there any weaknesses to find here? Of course, otherwise I would have given 100%. But, thank God, they appear in diminishing numbers. For example, I am no friend of narrative, spoken parts. It always makes me think of fairytale records. Music-wise, I don’t have any complaints. All parts are somewhere between good and absolutely outstanding. Fortunately the technical execution does not pale besides the songwriting skills. The full-length can rely on its opulent, evil and well-defined production. All elements have enough room to leave their footprints and to breathe. Despite the dark tales of Syderyth G., the sound has a lively component. No I cannot find any serious deficiencies here, but nearly Wagnerian melodies that reveal a rarely experienced might, while the furious sections lie in close proximity to the powerful guitar walls that the black metal scene of Quebec loves to create. Conclusion: this album seems to be criminally ignored, otherwise I would not be the first one who writes a review for it – nearly two years after its release. Everybody who does not hate their good taste should listen to this. Right away.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Greg on March 23, 2026.

After the absolute home run that was Spirit Invictus, Greece's own Triumpher might have already secured their place in the pantheon of modern epic heavy metal. Incredibly enough, exactly three mere years after their debut Storming The Walls hit the shelves, these five ancient warriors are already at their third full-length. Composing such marvellous stuff and doing so while maintaining this level as well definitely needs to be hailed. Naturally, a part of me can't help but fear the day when such a rapid-fire release pace leads to the band churning out half-assed slop. So far, it hasn't happened – quite the opposite. What about this new Piercing The Heart Of The World, then?

After a quick peek at the tracklist, noting that the album runs a good five minutes longer than its predecessor, with the same number of tracks, it would be easy to expect an even partial return to Storming The Walls' modus operandi, which isn't far from the truth. The songs are noticeably more spacious and slow-burning than riff-driven, with symphonics and choirs being used more extensively. Even the vocal hooks aren't as easy to assimilate when compared to its predecessor (or 'The Thunderer', for that matter). It's no wonder that few were the tracks that initially stuck with me: opener and first teaser 'Black Blood', a grandiose, epic midtempo, showcasing Triumpher's more power-influenced side; 'Erinyes', simply for being the closest to a blackened thrash song they've ever composed, obviously filtered through their typical heroic lens; 'Ithaca (Return Of The Eternal King)' as the slower, vocal-centered number, although I wasn't sure whether for good reasons or not.

Oh, and that fierce hoplite with a microphone in hand, otherwise known as the band's vocalist, Mars Triumph, is in top form as always. He's still channelling the fierceness and controlled abandon of prime Eric Adams, and he's one of the absolute best at that in the business. To mention one highlight among many, I can't get enough of how well he bellows that 'Hail! The Wrath Of The Destroyer!' in the eponymous speeder, skyrocketing a rather par-for-the-course refrain to empowering levels. I'll make one small remark and say that the lower register he keeps in the first part of the aforementioned 'Ithaca' isn't as commanding as I'd have hoped from him, but it's a very minor blemish.

Listen after listen, the layers of Piercing The Heart Of The World began to unravel. 'The Mountain Throne' stands as the song that grew on me the most, handled masterfully by Triumph (not that the other songs aren't, mind you), who flexes through the muscular prechorus and the slower refrain, before meeting a brutal acceleration halfway through the song – Triumph once again gloriously reclaiming the spotlight in the incredible ending. Just listen for yourself. Even better, the album doesn't start wandering in its second half, as the debut did at times. There are still some moments where the guys weren't at their most inspired, like the somewhat tedious prechorus of 'The Flaming Sword' or the slightly puzzling calmer interlude 'Vaults Of Immortals', which comes after an already largely balladic episode, not helping the overall momentum. Nevertheless, most of it eventually won me over. A clear example is closer 'Naus Apidalia', their longest song to date: a suite based on Ulysses' mythical journey, adorned by the best lead guitar work I've heard from axemen Marios and Christopher so far, and featuring an emotional ode to Poseidon halfway through, written in ancient Hellenic. I also appreciated them circling back to the chorus at the end, which is something many songs attempting this route usually overlook, for one reason or another.

All in all, Triumpher have delivered a slightly different beast, although at the expense of somewhat discarding what elevated Spirit Invictus as one of my top 2024 albums. Obviously, none of this is meant to imply that Piercing The Heart Of The World is a total dud. Far from it – it will need just a couple more listens, but it sure is rewarding. After all, Triumpher have always guaranteed material of the highest quality so far, and I'm glad to announce their streak is still ongoing. Pick your own favourite, but make sure not to dismiss the others.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10