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STU MARSHALL'S EMPIRES OF EDEN
Guardians Of Time
2024 Massacre Records

Calling all fans of melodic power metal: your album of the year is here! If you're not familiar with Australian guitarist and composer Stu Marshall (who is also in the bands NIGHT LEGION and DEATH DEALER) and his previous albums working under the moniker EMPIRES OF EDEN, then you should know upfront that you're in for a metal feast, featuring a "Who's Who of Heavy Metal" lineup. I have heard all of the material released under the EOE banner, and Guardians Of Time (the band's fifth album) is now my favorite. It's a diverse collection of songs that will keep those with the most discerning tastes and compromised attention spans engaged, because no two songs are similar (well, there is one exception--more on that later).

The album opens with the instrumental "The Dawn March", setting the stage for the title track, "Guardians of Time", featuring incredible vocals by Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI) and dynamic bass guitar by John Gallagher (RAVEN) (Lyric video HERE). This is one epic power metal song, featuring one of my all-time favorite singers. The song is about the passing of time and life being short and fleeting. The next track, however, became one of my favorite songs of the year. "When Will It End" is catchy as hell and a potential single in my opinion, with vocals provided by Darren Smith (HAREM SCAREM). The track also features the great Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) on bass. Another great track, "Mortal Rites", featuring vocals by Jonas Heidgert (DRAGONLAND) and a solo by Tony Truglio (LIEGE LORD), is possibly the most aggressive song on this album, and quick a lesson in speed metal precision. "The Inner Me" is more on the melodic side of things, featuring some orchestration and the brilliant lead vocals of David Readman (VOODOO CIRCLE). "When The Beast Comes Out" features the powerhouse vocals of Sean Peck (CAGE) with whom Marshall has collaborated many times before in the epic power metal band DEATH DEALER. Next is the blistering instrumental "Arabian Nights", which gives Marshall a chance to show off his chops. The track acts as a divider between the first and last half of the album.

"Stand United" sees vocalist Tony Webster (ARCHETYPE) coming out of retirement to add to his legacy of work. This is a great vocal performance that features a great message of union! "August Runs Red" features vocalist Louie Gorgievski, whom Marshall is band mates with in NIGHT LEGION and the singer of several songs on the first three EOE albums. This scorching track shows why he's Marshall's go-to singer, with this and the following song, "Baptise This Hell". This song is featured again at the end of the album as an alternate version bonus track featuring additional Australian vocalists John Cavaliere (BLACK MAJESTY) and Danny Cecati (WICKED SMILE) and members of ELM STREET and TEMTRIS, among others. The final proper track of this album is one of the best songs to be included, the burning and churning "The Devil's Only Friend", performed by legendary singer/drummer Jeff Martin (RACER X). Mike LePond also plays bass on this track.

Clearly the hero of Guardians of Time is Stu Marshall, who wrote all the music and also wrote the lyrics and melodies to "When Will It End" and "The Inner Me". The lyrics and melodies on "Mortal Rites" and "Baptise This Hell" were written by Louis Gorgievski. The lyrics to the other songs were written by the singers themselves, giving them the chance to shine in a writing capacity as well, and it's quite a showcase of world class talent. The guitar work on this album is simply amazing and I love it. So much work went into this album, you really need to do yourself a favor and seek it out; it warrants hearing on your loudest sound system. Guardians of Time is one of my favorite albums of the year and will be available from Massacre Records on November 15th.

5.0 Out Of 5.0