The Final Door

Discovery of the month, or possibly Summer, entails Washington D.C.'s The Adventures of Link inspired/themed Master Sword and its downright mind-blowing and svelte The Final Door sophomore, an octadic, forty minute masterpiece released on, of all days, December 27th, 2019 - when yours truly entered his fifth decade on this here benighted Earth.

It's quite the gift in light of fact titular opener proper (which follows a conducive, seventy second, door creaking intro called "Footsteps in the Dark") rips our shnozzes apart with killer guitar riff pried from said video game's "palace" score circa 1987 - source of much childhood merriment - not to mention front songstress Lily Hoy's incredible multi-range...

...a range which, suffice it to say, blew my kepi away, be it at outset of "The Final Door" proper, or throughout breadth of the lugubrious "A Bloody History", not to mention her Clementine Delaney (i.e. Visions of Atlantis' Wanderers) evoking, stratospherically divine alto on "Forgotten in Stone". At times, she also sounds like highly potent cross between Lady Beast's Deborah Levine (on lead-choked heavy metal extravaganza, "Hero of Time", in particular) and one-time Helion Prime-r, Heather Michele Smith. In any case, each band member is wound to the hilt: from Senescere drummer Andy Stark's dryly prattled, anvil tossing beats and bassist Shawn Staub (of Maryland thrasher Trihexyn)'s solidly cemented bass lines, to dutiful axmen/keyboardist Matt Farkas (rhythm) and Corey Garst's (lead) epic overtures, the instrumentation is stellar, all-around, hands down, notwithstanding crapulous frowns or nightmare gowns.

Cause for excitement? Certainly, what with eight indelibly woven tracks averaging five minutes apiece, topped by a deadly, atmosphere setting introduction (which isn't too long, tumid or orotund) and album highlight, in tow. (Such dramatically hooking opening riff is simply too awesome in terms of both nostalgia and musicianship.) The guitar riffs to mid-place "Children of Old" and "Enchantress", while perhaps less expedient, equally assuage corruscating, excalibur cavorting and raw inclinations of a most elite order; yet, the stalwart way this all begins, with Lily's exquisite vox dominating the fray, everywhere, from beginning to end - the fact there's nary an instrumental on board reaps mondo accolades - is, mildly, put, out of this World, especially if you're into classic power/trad metal brimming with stylish, none-too-bombastic synths.

Yet, what sold me faster than a Tel Aviv street market hawker was this vivacious vixen's crack-shot low-range, starting at precisely 02:31 into self-titled humdinger jackpot. Check it out, you'll be floored, genuflecting for more. Closer and 2018 single "The Forsaken Tribe", for its part, sounds exactly like one expects drawing conclusions from quick, perfunctory glance at its charming Hyrulean cover artwork whilst, in frank squareness, attribute ineluctable patters of symbiotic, rose/aquamarine colour palette (i.e. the above beautiful fresco) association with ever-melodious and starkly hard-driven, at times, mellifluously cloven rhythmic engagements of an A+ mien.

Oh, lest I forget, surmise Carl's leads on "Hero of Time" dwell amidst most colourful and exotically phrased heard in a spell - almost comparable to Marty Friedman's; as in, accompanied by shit ton of mystical harmony.

Fellow metal denizens of a sadly Covided era, make time for Master Sword's The Final Door. (As it renders all else moot!)

Video games and metal have had a symbiotic relationship for years with bands like Powerglove putting out awesome covers of video game theme songs. Now there is a new face of video game metal and its name is Master Sword. According to legend, the Master Sword is a powerful blade that can only be wielded by a legendary hero. Sounds pretty metal, does it not? These cats already have one killer album of Zelda-themed power metal and now they are back to give us more with The Final Door. Will it stand up to the debut, fall short or perhaps be even better? Only the shadow knows for sure.

The Final Door is apparently a trial that you have to complete in a particular Zelda game and based on the absolutely booming riffs and blistering ¾ tempos, that makes perfect sense. This is exactly the kind of music you want playing in the background to get you pumped for a tough boss fight. After the first couple tracks, the album slows down a little but those first three tracks just come out firing in every way. The title track is smashing and so rippingly rifftastic that you cannot help but bang your head to the beat. Then you get “Hero of Time,” which emphasizes heavy, crushing riffs that evoke the feeling of someone banging something with a mallet. “Children of Old” combines both approaches for yet another incredibly hard-hitting track with killer guitar leads and solos.

This album definitely feels more story-oriented than the debut and there are layers to it but the riffs smash faces and the guitar leads and solos are tremendous and that is a big part of what sells this album. The slower songs feel more story oriented and you know what? That just makes the album even more compelling because it draws you in and never lets go until the story ends. You can tell these guys are big video game fans from the lyrics but also from the blistering riffs and absolutely phenomenal guitar leads that sound straight out of a video game. If you are not a huge video game nerd, some of the lyrics might go over your head but that will not take away from your enjoyment of this album one bit. These songs will rock your socks off and that is not up for debate.

As much as the guitar work anchors this album, what really puts it over the top are the top-notch performances from drummer Andy Stark and vocalist Lily Hoy. Let us start with the booming drum beats that drive the tempo of every song. For the most part, Andy’s drum patterns are pretty simple and what you would expect to hear in this kind of metal. However, you still feel like every beat and every pattern has a purpose and he throws in just enough variation to keep the listener on their toes. Whether the pattern is incredibly hard-hitting with tons of kick drum or a slower, more intentional pattern, it always sounds natural and Andy plays with such bravado that the simple patterns sound better. The quiet, tasteful cymbals at the beginning of the title track are the perfect way to ramp up the album quickly.

As the purported Zelda expert and powerhouse frontwoman of the band, Lily takes all the awesome elements of Master Sword’s sound and brings them together like a well-oiled machine that makes you want to bang your head constantly. As big of a punch as Lily’s voice packs (and it is a very big one), it is her range and commitment to a kickass, balls-to-the-wall approach that elevates her above many power metal vocalists. Lily normally sits in a nice mid-range pocket but she has a lovely high-end and a seriously badass low-end with a healthy amount of grit, which is a welcome change of pace in this style. She spends a good portion of “Children of Old” in the higher end of her voice, which makes the crescendo in the middle that much more impactful. If there is a real world equivalent of the Master Sword, then Lily Hoy is the hero of legend destined to wield it and she will vanquish those who dare to stand against her.

At the end of the day, this album is absolutely fantastic and anyone who enjoys the heavier side of power metal and/or any video game themed metal will be absolutely thrilled with Master Sword’s sophomore effort. If you are a Zelda nerd, you will get extra enjoyment out of this killer slab of power metal but it is by no means mandatory. Even if you know nothing about Zelda or Hyrulean lore, this album has plenty to offer. Master Sword are definitely a band to keep on your metal radar as they are bound to put out more kickass Zelda-infused power metal in the (hopefully near) future. Bottom line: Master Sword straight up rocks and that is not just an opinion. It is a fact.

- originally written for The Metal Observer

Doubling down on all the ingredients that made their first full length an enthralling listen, Master Sword opens another door into Hyrulean legend with The Final Door. Released just shy of two years after the debut and in the final days of 2019, it’s a less extensive album than its predecessor, but one that delves that much deeper into the band’s developing style and the mythos it brings to life.

But it is also less inviting, demanding more attention from the listener to fully envelop in the immersive atmosphere brought to life by the great musicianship. The Final Door doesn’t carry those instant, catchy hits, but instead deeper works nonetheless well crafted and built on the solid foundation of riff based power metal.

Guitarists Matt Farkas and Corey Garst build the towering riff work throughout the album that proves incredibly efficient and driving the music. Garst, handling leads, blazes some sweet melodic leads and solos as well - the ones in Hero of Time are especially extra. Farkas also adds keyboards to enhance the atmosphere in darker tracks A Dark History and epic Forgotten in Stone.

Lily Hoy’s ridiculously competent vocals add further depth to the flow of the music, always enchanting the air with her melodic voice and powerful approach. She’s belting out anthemic choruses throughout the album, soaring on the riff work of Garst and Farkas, while taking a dark and menacing turn in the brooding A Dark History. Rich bass tones fill out the sound, Shawn Staub thundering on beneath the striking guitars. They’ve doubled down on the atmosphere as well. The entire album has a dark tone and a heavy - sometimes almost oppressive - feel to the soundscape.

Obviously given the lyrical theme Master Sword might appeal most to fans of the Legend of Zelda franchise. The lyrics aren’t that demanding however and the music will easily appeal to any fans of heroic power metal or anyone interested in powerful riffs, magic leads and mighty, female vocals - or even fans of classic heavy metal. It’s not too cheesy, not too over the top, but tossing every ingredient in just right and with heaps of passion and talent to carry the blade of evil's bane.

Thanks to a fairly short runtime and mere eight songs - landing at 40 minutes including bonus track The Forsaken Tribe - it never proceeds into unwelcome filler territory either. Master Sword have crafted a fun listen that’s just charming as it is well performed, and crafted with love for the art; The Final Door a great album to close the final door on 2019. And if I use a cheat code I can put it on my end of 2020 lists as well.

Standout tracks: Hero of Time, A Bloody History, The Forsaken Tribe