At The Throne Of Judgment - The Arcanum Order

It's really cool when young bands appreciate metal history and don't think an album from 2002 is "old school." At The Throne Of Judgment are only 18 and 19 years old, but the Ohio band cites groups like At The Gates and Hammerfall as influences. And instead of lyrics about partying and high school, they delve into topics such as ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology.

The Arcanum Order is a promising debut. The band's musicianship is excellent, with thundering riffs and guitar solos. As far as genres, At The Throne Of Judgment does use breakdowns and have elements of metalcore in their sound, but they shouldn't be pigeonholed into that one genre. You'll also hear death metal, traditional metal, and even some power metal throughout the album. They also show a softer side with a couple mellower instrumental interludes.

At The Throne Of Judgment uses both low pitched death metal growls and high pitched black metal screams, which helps add diversity to their sound and makes things much more interesting. This is a band off to a strong start with a world of potential. They have the intensity and passion along with good musicianship. Writing songs with a few more memorable hooks will take them even further, and that's something that will come as they refine and perfect their style.