Press/Reviews

“Basta dare uno sguardo alla line-up per capire che i Lords Of The Trident non si prendono troppo sul serio. Le foto poi fanno il resto: la band del Wisconsin gioca in modo aperto con l’immagine pacchiana di guerrieri postatomici armati di tutti i cliché del metal. Ma dal punto di vista musicale i ragazzi scherzano davvero poco, e questo loro album offre molti spunti di interesse, soprattutto per tutti gli amanti del più classico heavy metal. In realtà, quella che abbiamo tra le mani è l’edizione europea del disco: ‘Shadows From The Past’ è uscito già nel 2018 per una piccola etichetta americana, e tocca oggi alla tedesca Rafchild rimetterlo in circolazione in versione arricchita da due bonus-track. L’impressione è la stessa di allora, quella di una band solida, assolutamente capace tecnicamente e in grado di colpire, anche se chiamata a mettere meglio a fuoco alcuni elementi. L’inizio del disco è fulminante, con ‘Death Dealer’ e ‘Zero Hour’ che ci mostrano una band compatta e ricca di energia, capace di piazzare un doppio uptempo priestiano di grande sostanza, caratterizzato da un cantato molto teatrale – ed altrettanto efficace. ‘Tormentor’ è più quadrata, con melodie rotonde che possono ricordare i Primal Fear, mentre ‘Burn It Down’ suona più moderna oltre che più aspra, grazie anche alla partecipazione di Brittney Slayes degli Unleash The Archers. Il resto del disco non regge il confronto con questo eccezionale quartetto d’apertura, a partire dalla ballad orchestrale ‘Figaro’, passando per la spigliata ‘The Party Has Arrived’ per arrivare alla caciarona ‘Brothers Of Cain’, in cui appare l’ombra molesta degli Alestorm. Verso il finale il disco riprende quota, con la variegata ‘The Nameless Tomb’ e soprattutto l’incalzante ‘The Gatekeeper’ con il suo avvincente retrogusto epico. Come detto, l’impressione è positiva: manca poco ai Lords Of The Trident per riuscire a colpire senza riserve, ma il disco è assolutamente godibile.” 70/100 – Sandro Buti, Loud and Proud (January 22nd, 2020)

“Okay, so weit, so gut. Aber was ist denn mit der Musik? Na, die ist gut, selbst wenn man keinen Humor hat! Denn es gibt zahlreiche Kapellen, die sich witzig finden, aber leider musikalisch nicht allzu viel auf dem berühmten Kasten haben. Nein, ich nenne jetzt keine Namen, ich will hier nicht andere Bands dissen, sondern hervorheben, dass die LORDS OF THE TRIDENT nicht nur wissen, was sie tun, sondern auf “Shadows From The Past” auch beweisen, dass sie eine echte, mitreißende Metalscheibe fabrizieren können! Dabei bewegt sich die Band immer zwischen Heavy Metal und Power Metal und würde locker auch ohne besonderes Image einen Platz auf dem metallischen Radar verdienen. Zumal sie einen Fehler der vordringlich auf das Blödeln bedachten Spaßcombos vermeiden und darauf achten, dass ihre Lieder eine ordentliche Halbwertszeit haben und nicht nur von komischen Textzeilen leben. 7.5/10″ – Frank Jaeger, PowerMetal.de (2019.07.29)

  “There’s a sneaky great band out there called Lords of the Trident that clearly Power Metal fanatics are not hailing enough. What seemingly began as just a fun party band with fellow collegians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has turned into a group that has improved at every level–especially songwriting–and now should be considered rising stars as a 10+ year “overnight” sensation.

The aforementioned “Heart in the Fire” is from Death or Sandwich and is better, just all around better, than the 2009 version. It may be the best song on the release … unless it’s “Face of the Enemy.” The groove here should turn you into a male or female slattern, if you have any angry sex drive at all.

There are two covers on Pull the Plug, Extreme’s “More Than Words” and the classic Kansas track “Dust in the Wind.” There’s a mountain of bravery for a band to cover these two songs, both musically and vocally, but this is Lords of the Trident. Lead singer Fang VonWrathenstein has one of those voices perfect for Power Metal, throaty and melodic, but where in the past you could say he is a pretty good singer, after hearing these songs, you’ll say he can “SANG.” Yes, there’s a difference.

Speaking of vocals, there’s a number of falsetto passages across the release, which fits with the acoustic vibe perfectly. But the BEST song, by far, no argument allowed for any reason is “Alone in Cole Hall.” The gents turned it from a frightening Metal song into a … love song. Somehow, a song likely influenced in part by the Cole Hall shooting at the University of Northern Illinois is now a seductive composition, where Fang is actually crooning. The falsetto at the end of the song, compared to the original version on Death or Sandwich, shows tremendous vocal growth while somehow being hilarious at the same time. Go figure … and the VIDEO, it’s amazing.

They close Pull the Plug with a warrior’s anthem, “Shattered Skies.” It’s a battlefield, it’s death and it’s everywhere. Sounds about right. The guitar playing on this track and every song is clear, precise, has soul when it needs it and a heaviness when it needs it more.

If you don’t know Lords of the Trident, you can start with Pull the Plug, but a better bet is to snag their newest release Shadows from the Past first, so you can get a taste in their true realm. If you are a longtime fan, this should wet your whistle with the gods’ saliva that created Kvasir or whatever you fill your leather flask with.” – Derric Miller, Hard Rock Haven (January 3rd, 2019)

  “Now this is an album to kick back to. Powell metallers Lords of the Trident have created a Patreon funded acoustic album to accentuate the creativity and beauty of their songs. It is their seventh album on the heels of August 2018’s Shadows From the Past, which is fucking exceptional. Pull the Plug will soothe your tired soul with its expressive and emotive vocals and simplistic rhythms.” – Nina, Boston Rock Radio (January 27th, 2019)

  “Who out there remembers that awesome, yet sadly short time period where MTV Unplugged was a thing? Well, I do, and some of the most profound artists where there before us, live, raw, and beautifully real; bringing a whole new life to our favorite tracks. This is the first place I was brought to with this album. Right from the very start their first track “Knight’s Of The Dragon’s Deep” takes hold of your heart and imagination…Lords of the Trident has done it again- bringing their unique mark to the metal community by taking these thrashing metal beasts (the tracks) and taming them into soothing, soulful and loving creatures. They stole my heart with this release, and really, I am okay with that.” – Emily Mae, Maehem Underground Media (January 22nd, 2019)

“There are plenty of bands out there trying to combine metal and humor, most meeting with limited success. I had no idea Lords of the Trident was such a band though, in hindsight, the clunky, over the top name should have made me wonder. In this case, I didn’t even realize that was what was going on with the band’s fourth album, Shadows from the Past. It wasn’t until I checked out their discography and found titles like Death or Sandwich and covers of Beyonce. Then I saw band member names like Fang Von Wrathstein (vocals) and Asian Metal (guitars) as well as the jokey videos on their website and it all came together. At the end of the day, all that matters is whether the band can play and write good songs and the answer is “yes”.

The Lords play clean, modern heavy metal with some power metal flourishes on Shadows of the Past. The vocals are strong and possess a good amount of emotion. The rhythm section provides a solid foundation for the guitars and some sweet lead work, though I think some of the solos are played slightly off-kilter as part of the band’s tongue-in-cheek attitude. There is not really a weak track on Shadows of the Past and the band does their best work when revving up the tempo on “The Nameless Tomb” and the album highlight “Burn it Down (with Fire)” featuring guest vocals from Unleash the Archers’ Brittney Slayes.

If you like your metal bright, fierce and loud, à la A Sound of Thunder and Black Majesty, Lords of the Trident is a band worth checking out as they don’t let the metal take a back seat to the humor.

3.75/5″ – MetalMike, MetalCrypt.com (November 19th, 2019)

“I simpatici power metallers del Wisconsis Lords of the Trident danno un seguito a “Frostburn”, di tre anni fa, e tornano sul mercato con il loro quarto full-length. I numerosi cambiamenti di line-up di quest’ultimo periodo sono raccontati con il consueto stile epico-demenziale sul loro sito, ma intanto la buona musica è rimasta… Ha un bel tiro “Death Dealer”, serrata e allo stesso tempo melodica, capace di scorribande mai troppo fini a se stesse. Più classica “Tormentor”, quasi con un feeling priestiano; velocissima “Burning down (with Fire)”, in cui è ospite Brittney Slayes degli Unleash the Archers, mentre “Figaro” si rivela carica e teatrale, un brano differente dagli altri fatto di cori e strutture magniloquenti. Il singer Fang VonWrathenstein si diverte anche in “Brothers of Cain” con una prestazione sopra le righe, mentre “The Nameless Tomb” allegerisce il sound, portandolo verso un melodic metal nordeuropeo con qualche accenno NWOBHM. Chiude la scaletta la solida “The Gatekeeper”, che può ricordare il power dei Persuader. Un album di genere che si fa ascoltare con piacere.”

(René Urkus) Voto: 7.5/10” – René Urkus, Metalhead.it (November 25th, 2018)

“The opener, “Death Dealer”, musically is reminiscent of AMON AMARTH; it is dirty in its delivery, yet heavily melodic. The instant influence of JUDAS PRIEST is strongly present and the band knows how to use that inspiration very well. We have a great use of vocal harmonies here as well. The half-time riffs add an interesting dynamic amongst some shredding solos.

We then have the song “Zero Hour” that follows a similar pattern, but it takes a bit more time before transitioning into a more pure Metal powerhouse, amidst some cool bass lines. The strongest aspect of the band I have noticed so far are the vocals, which have some adjacent qualities to those of SEVENTH WONDER. The chorus shows off a lot of emotion that you can find in the band mentioned before, which is always a key in having memorable pieces of a song. “Tormentor” feeds off a slower pace, but serves a nice dish of Hard Rock with a groove.  It has the qualities I have always appreciated in the slower tempo of some PRIMAL FEAR songs. Speed is not essential in getting the listener to pay attention and this song is a perfect example of that. It is a gritty number and shows off some very high pitch notes in the process. “Burn It Down (With Fire)” has a punchier approach and has a SYMPHONY X side to it (minus the more progressive side). It’s extremely energetic and should get your blood pumping. We also get an added touch with the female vocals of Brittney Slayesthat blend into the song flawlessly with the vocals of Fang VonWrathenstein. “Figaro” seems like the type of track you would find at the end of the album, it has that feeling that the journey has come to an end. As you may have guessed, it is a slower song more along the lines of a ballad. Again, changing the pace of an album that has already gone balls deep into a more aggressive tone is always a good approach. Nothing out of the ordinary here but the song serves its purpose. Next we have “The Party Has Arrived” that uses strings and orchestral parts, essentially a short instrumental to lead us into a very German Power Metal piece, “Brothers of Cain”, that uses a nice dose of humor (if you have heard ALESTORM you will understand what I mean here) and goes into a chorus that is quite reminiscent of FALCONER. The song does not take itself too seriously, which is always a nice touch. “Reaper’s Hourglass” has one of the better choruses I find here, the vocals do not go too overboard, which makes it very easy to remember. Yes it follows a pattern that we can relate to, but it in its delivery, it is straight on point. This is by far my favorite song on the album. The final track “Gatekeeper” is another noteworthy song, it is the album closer that starts off slow and builds perfectly (just like one of my all-time favorite bands, if you did not know by now, FATES WARNING). The band chose a song that has just the right tempo to finish off this Power Metal adventure. Overall, the band does not break any new ground in the genre but the elements found on this album all blend together perfectly and should appeal to fans of true metal, pure metal, traditional power metal or however you wish to label that genre. Songwriting: 8 Originality: 8 Memorability:   8 Production: 8

8/10” – Eric Poulin, Metal Temple (November 22nd, 2018)

(Powerplay Magazine UK – October 2018 – 7/10)

“Have only seen these guys live, where they’re lovable bat-shit crazy, costumed trad metallers. On disc? New experience. Fair to say the music is as schizophrenic as the mock personalities performing: Fang von Wrathenstein (vox), Baron Taurean Helleshaar (guitar)…you get the (Picasso) picture.

“Death Dealer” jumps right into the deep end of the high vocal, traditional metal pool. More of the same from “Zero Hour”. Good stuff. While the songs do not appear to be a connected/concept album, that’s not beyond these wacky Wisconsin folks. Mid-paced “Tormentor” features dueling guitars that sound something like video game effects, while “Burn It Down (with Fire)” follow-up has a guest appearance from Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers). “Figaro” begins as a drum stick on wood block style ballad, then quickly ventures in Broadway musical territory. Baroque orchestrated “The Party Has Begun” is an instrumental leading into the comical, talked-through “Brothers Of Cain”, protagonist telling his story as he robs the aforementioned dinner party. Finishing duo of “Nameless Tomb” and “The Gatekeeper” are rollicking, straight ahead metal numbers: strong vocals, toe-tapping, headbanging melodies. Feeling adventurous?” – Mark Gromen, Bravewords (October 22nd, 2018)

“A carreira dos Lords Of The Trident (LOTT) tem sido quase toda construída nos EUA e apenas o álbum Frostburn teve direito a uma edição europeia, através da Killer Metal Records. Do lado de lá do Atlântico, é a Junko Johnson Records que tem tido (e volta a ter nesta nova proposta) o privilégio dos lançamentos. E dizemos privilégio porque, à semelhança do disco anterior, Shadows From The Past volta a mostrar uma banda que não olha a meios para investir na melodia, principalmente a partir de um vocalista com um timbre fantástico e que realmente canta as músicas com um assinalável sentido de melodia e emotividade. Adicionalmente, os solos de guitarra (bem, na realidade, todo o trabalho instrumental – guitarra e baixo incluídos!) estão, também, todos eles imbuídos de um enorme sentimento melódico. Em Shadows From The Past tudo faz sentido e, sendo verdade, que os LOTT, versão 2018, não são tão expansivos nem exploratórios como já foram, ainda mantém uma adequada dose de teatralidade (acentuada pelo seu visual) que injetam a preceito no sentido de criarem canções muito expressivas, embora com pouca agressividade. Musicalmente, este disco navega entre um power metal clássico e o NWOBHM, sendo que é notória a (muito boa) influência dos Riot. Como facilmente se percebe,, tudo bons motivos para se despender algum tempo com este disco. [93%]” – Via Nocturna (October 15th, 2018)

“Quando recebi este disco confesso que fiquei logo a pensar, olha mais uns novos profetas que se propõe a espalhar o evangelho segundo NWOBHM. O segundo pensamento foi, bonito! só cá estão os temas e as letras, nada de info da label sobre quem são e de onde vem… e lá fui eu cuscar quem são os Lords of the Trident, já completamente cheio de “pré-conceitos” desta ciência não exacta que é a “review do disco”. Como sou um gajo que prefere fontes a água engarrafada segui directamente para o site da banda e lá entrei neste mundo de lordes povoado por fantasmas do passado. Reza a lenda que quando os Lordes Fang VonWrathenstein, Baron Taurean Helleshaar, Asian Metal, Pontifex Mortis e Master “Herc” Hercule Schlazeuger se juntam para ensaiar os seus amplificadores estão tao altos que até os Manowar já lá foram bater à porta a pedir para baixarem os volumes. Caríssimos, o resto da viagem, façam-na vocês, prometo que vai valer a pena! Este sétimo registo destes americanos é composto por uma alucinante viagem por onze excecionais temas do mais puro metal que tenho ouvido. Brilhante a todos os níveis, Shadows From the Past é um disco indispensável em qualquer colecção. ALL HAIL THE LORDS!!! Nota – 10/10.” – World of Metal Magazine (October Issue 2018)

“De tracks vormen met elkaar een mooi geheel in sound en vocals. Dit komt duidelijk naar voren op tracks als ‘Zero Hour’, ‘Tormentor’, Reaper’s Hourglass’ en ‘Chasing Shadows’. Ook op de track ‘Figaro’, de langst durende track van dit album, komt dit sterk naar voren. Een rustig intro, prima stevig gitaarspel, vocalen die echt een verhaal vertellen, en drumwerk die je de luisteraar door de gehele track verder leidt.

‘Burn it Down (With Fire)’ is een track met een gastbijdrage van Unleash The Archers zangeres Brittany Slaves. Deze track is duidelijk geïnspireerd op ‘Ram it Down’ van Judas Priest, met flinke uithalen van beide vocalisten en een stevig gitaar- en drumspel. ‘The Party Has Arrived’ is een klassiek intermezzo wat de luisteraar begeleidt naar de volgende track ‘Brothers of Cain’. In deze track wordt direct de sound van stevig gitaarspel weer opgepakt en pakt Ty Christian vocaal uit met een theatraal vocaal spel. Op dezelfde manier zoals de Amerikaanse zanger Meatloaf weleens doet in zijn klassieker ‘Paradise By The Dashboard Light’. Het enigste jammere is de afronding van het album met de tracks ‘The Nameless Tomb’ en ‘The Gatekeeper’. Beide tracks brengen weinig verrassing met zich mee aan het einde van de plaat doordat de muziek en vocalen precies hetzelfde in elkaar zitten als de rest van het album. Qua sound is de band niet vernieuwend binnen het Power Metal genre, maar de zowel de muziek als vocals zitten goed in mekaar. Muzikaal gezien is het album zeer zeker onderhoudend, vooral het drumwerk. Productie ook prima en niets op aan te merken. Kortom: een prima Power Metal schijfje voor de diehard liefhebbers en ontdekkers.” – 80/100 – Marieke van Poelgeest, RockZine (Aug 2nd 2018)

“Shadows From The Past is the fourth studio album from Lords of the Trident, who, on the face of it, you would expect to hail from Scandinavia but in fact come from Madison, Wisconsin.

To me, they’re a power metal band with hints of symphonics going on. A heady, and enjoyable, mix. Whilst their image is of tongue-in-cheek piss-taking of the sword and sorcery arm of metal, the songs are all seriously performed and delivered with intent. Take lead vocalist  Fang VonWrathenstein for example. His Facebook history states that he “was born when a volcano containing metal and steel erupted at the beginning of time” (you get the picture) yet when it comes the tracks themselves he delivers a vocal performance of strength, power and no piss-taking in sight. In fact, read the band’s whole history, it reads like a Game of Thrones novel…. “Death Dealer” opens proceedings in truly pompous fashion with Fang treating us to a scream which could raise a Viking god from his slumber. There’s pace aplenty and a scorching extended solo to top it all, a marvellous start. Such pomposity is, thankfully, not quite repeated through the rest of the album. Instead, there is an amount of variety to keep us very much interested. There is a great rhythmic riff to open “Zero Hour” and VonWrathenstein turns in a powerful performance. Aiding him in his work are Baron Taurean Helleshaar on lead guitar, Asian Metal also on lead guitar, Pontifex Mortis on bass and Master “Herc” Hercule Schlagzeuger on drums. Great names all, and all put in top performances.” – Graham Spark, Decibel Geek (October 8th, 2018)

“Power Metal in the vein of bands like Blind Guardian (notice the Tolkien influenced cover) and Sabbaton is what Lords of the Trident offer in the Shadows from the Past. The listener will find elements like speed metal in songs which even remind bands like Megadeth (Tormentor) or Judas Priest (Burn it Down (with Fire)), great melodies, excellent guitar work, crystal clear production, addictive choruses, tunes with “hooks”…in brief, all the necessary ingredients that can make Lords of the Trident a commercially succesful band of their genre. Even though I am not a big fan of this sound, I have to admit that they are acing in what they do, therefore they deserve…” 8/10 – Jupiter Variation (October 1st, 2018)

(No review, score only) –  8/10 – VÝBORNÉ, Hard Music Base (September 26th, 2018)

“Finally it is here, the latest album from Lords Of The Trident.  It’s been 3 years from the last album Frostburn that we can hear some of the new tunes. It start with Death Dealer, tells the8+7 story about a some kind of a demon that has a condemned soul that got imprisoned in a stone. Throughout the album the storyline is kept, basically show a searching of the unknown in the unknowns.

The first song is very powerful, combining the strong riff in the beginning and the beautiful but not less strong voice from Fang VanWrathenstein. Next is a song called Zero Hour which becomes one of my favorites starting with drums and the guitars, strong with a solid riff, and being followed by the snare that gives him a sticky rhythm. This all is being accompanied by a short pre-chorus with a solo from the bass. Later we have Tormentor, again one of my favorites too… it adds complexity and really deep groove to the album remembering me of Countdown to Extinction from Megadeth. The song has sooo much power in the riffs with a guitar solo (with both of guitars). That solo blows my mind! In the middle of the album, we have Burn It Down (With Fire), Figaro and The Party Has Arrived – good songs with some changes in their structure (little bit of Old School Heavy Metal, some catchy riffs that makes you move your head) including a full orchestra. Then we have Brothers Of Cain, Reaper´s Hourglass, Chasing Shadows and The Nameless Tomb. Finally, The Gatekeeper – a very powerful song to end this great album with a catchy intro and a solid main riff.” 4/5 – Carlos ‘Spark’ Carpio, Metal-Roos (September 19th, 2018)

“Shadows from the Past: El día que quieras Escuchar algo de heavy Power metal te invito a que busques está banda estadounidense y escuches su cuarto trabajo de estudio Shadows from the Past, un trabajo que nos dice que hay cosas que nunca cambiarán, como el heavy Power metal que interpreta Lords Of The Trident. La mayoría de canciones de estos gringos son veloces y para dar más de qué hablar invitaron a la vocalista de la banda canadiense Unleash the Archers, Brittney Hayes, para grabar una canción. Este álbum pareciera ser una colección de cosas qué a Lords Of The Trident les parecen impresionantes como la distopía futura, ciencia ficción y batallas de alta fantasía. Estados Unidos es uno de esos países en los que las bandas de heavy Power metal profilan con una calidad absolutamente envidiable, Así que estos muchachos harán todo para ganarse al público con su cuarto álbum que Inicia con.” 7.5/10 – Alessendro Power (September 1st, 2018)

““Signori del Tridente”… devo ammetterlo, quando ho letto il nome di questi Lords of the Trident e visto un po’ di foto di questi cinque americani, tutti bardati in improbabili costumi di scena, ho pensato: “ecco l’ennesimo gruppo improponibile!”…. ma mi sbagliavo, eccome se mi sbagliavo, perchè i Lords of the Trident sono una band interessantissima, poliedrica e talentuosa, seppur scanzonata e dall’aspetto buffo. Non conoscevo questo quintetto che usa pseudonimi di fantasia, ma nella biografia inviatami ho scoperto che addirittura ha realizzato finora tre full-lenghts (“Death or sandwich” nel 2009, “Chains on fire” nel 2011 e “Frostburn” nel 2015) , tre EP (“Plan of attack” nel 2013, “A very Lords of the Trident Christmas” nel 2014 e “Re:Quests” del 2015), oltre a due live-DVD… insomma tanta roba! Evidentemente mi deve essere sfuggito qualcosina…. ma spero di recuperare presto perchè la musica della band del Wisconsin è proprio gradevole e si ascolta in maniera molto easy. Come detto il sound è molto vario, si parte da una base classicamente heavy, su cui si innestano variazioni sul tema, inserendo parti più tipicamente power (“Death dealer” o “Reaper’s hourglass”), qualcosa di sinfonico (“Figaro” e con un titolo simile cosa vi aspettavate?), un pizzico di melodic (“Chasing shadows”), fino anche ad un po’ di speed (“Burn it down”). Insomma, qualcosa che è proprio un piacere da ascoltare e riascoltare, a dimostrazione che, quando si ha talento, anche il più classico heavy metal, suonato e risuonato da tantissimi negli ultimi 40 anni, può risultare fresco e godibile. I Lords of the Trident, inoltre, hanno la rara qualità di avere un songwriting efficace, i loro componimenti sono diretti e privi di inutili orpelli, segno ulteriore che ci sanno davvero fare, nonostante quegli pseudonimi e quel loro aspetto burlone ed irriverente. Sia i musicisti che il cantante sono molto validi ed anche la produzione è davvero ottimale. “Shadows from the past” (questo il titolo dell’album), oltre ad avere una bella copertina, è anche uno dei migliori dischi che abbia ascoltato in questo 2018! Ora non mi resta che andare a cercare anche il vecchio materiale dei Lords of the Trident…. fans dell’heavy e del power, non esitate e fate vostro questo validissimo disco!” 4.5/5 – Ninni Cangiano, AllAroundMetal.com (August 31st, 2018)

“All in all, “Shadows From The Past” is pretty damn good power metal, or electro violence metal, whatever you want to call it, it still rocks.  And I’d like to mention something I eluded to earlier also –the LOTT back catalog.  If you like what you hear with this record but maybe not too familiar with this band, check out their previous releases, you won’t be sorry.  Standout tunes on Shadows From The Past” include “Death Dealer,” “Tormentor” and “Brothers of Cain.”  

“It’s evident on initial passes this quintet possesses requisite musicianship and proper understanding of the tools necessary to deliver exemplary traditional metal with US / European power propensities. Beyond the over the top stage monikers like bassist Pontifex Mortis, lead guitarist Baron Taurean Helleshaar and vocalist Fang VonWrathenstein, you have to go in knowing there is equally fantasy/majestic lyrical content to match their style on songs such as “Figaro” and Iced Earth-edged opener “Death Dealer”. Baron’s leads feature plenty of shred, tapping, and arpeggio excitement while fitting the atmosphere of each song at hand – you can hear bits of Accept, Metallica, Megadeth, and Yngwie Malmsteen throughout these eleven tracks. The band prove equally up to the task on a faster, double kick anthem such as “Burn It Down (With Fire)” that features Brittney Slayes of Unleash the Archers just as much as settling into a more 90’s black album Metallica effort such as “Tormentor”. Overall the listeners will be hard pressed to not wave fists, headbang, or even jig to certain hooks (the latter evident on the theatrical/folk influenced “Brothers of Cain”).

The ace of the appeal lies in the masterful vocal performance of Fang. Utilizing enthusiasm, multi-octave range and sustain, plus that added personal charm necessary to pull off themes of ancient/battle/fantasy times as if you are truly there, he understands the need to fluctuate song to song to help throw this material into the memory banks longer than a single pass. “Chasing Shadows” a perfect example of his commercial tendencies, understanding where to push forward and when to lay back, plus using proper harmonization opportunities to the max. The artwork, production, tones, and performances to these ears rival the main leaders of their preferred influences – generating excitement even if the topics for some may rear into that ‘cheesy’ tag (think Twilight Force, Grail Knights, Rhapsody (Of Fire) here). Melody and harmony drive Lords of the Trident sonically – and this is prime US traditional metal for those who love the genre and want something new to treasure. Time to seek out some back discography and ride that horse into battle.” 9.5/10 – Matt Coe, Dead Rhetoric (August 27th, 2018)

“The band still delivers a contemporary interpretation of classic “keep it true” heavy metal. While the signature elements of the genre are clearly apparent, I found myself favoring the terrific twin guitar harmony and breathtaking leads. After this, Lords Of The Trident has the uncanny ability to fuse both power and groove into their heavy metal. Bang your head, do windmills if you still have the hair to do so, or tap your toes, the Lords have their heavy metal rock groove going.

For the songs, that sweet twin guitar harmony rises faithfully within all songs, with Zero Hour, Chasing Shadows, and Figaro as stand out examples. For pure speed and thunder of power metal, Burn It Down is a stormer, and features Unleash The Archers vocalist Brittney Slayes. For some of that aforementioned heavy metal rock, listen for Brothers Of Cain where the groove is infectious and the guitar solos thrilling. Note also the fine bass solo just after the three minute mark. It’s all good. For purveyors of classic “keep it true” American power metal of the finest order look to Lords Of The Trident and Shadows From The Past. Easily recommended.” 5/5 – Craig Hartranft, Dangerdog Music Reviews (August 26th, 2018)

“Shadows From The Past è il quarto lavoro sulla lunga distanza per gli statunitensi: niente di nuovo ma convincente sotto il cielo di un Wisconsin illuminato da lampi e tuoni metallici e riflessi accecanti di lucide spade. Una raccolta di brani che riesce a mantenere alta l’attenzione dell’ascoltatore grazie ai tanti momenti melodici in un contesto metallico supportato da un buon songwriting, anche se l’album precedente era baciato da un maggiore stato di grazia che influisce sul giudizio comunque positivo di questa nuova prova. Chitarre che si incendiano in solos e passaggi heavy metal lasciano spazio a cavalcate power di scuola Helloween; ottimo è l’uso dei chorus dal flavour epico e dal buon appeal, mentre il singer conferma di essere cantante perfetto per la musica suonata e la sezione ritmica fa il suo sporco lavoro al meglio, alternando parti telluriche ad accelerazioni che trovano le loro origini tra le vie di Amburgo a metà degli anni ottanta. L’opener Death Dealer parte come un treno e deraglia nella tellurica e melodica Zero Hour, la bellissima Figaro porta con sé sfumature progressive, mentre The Party Has Arrived fa da preludio alla più moderna Reaper’s Hourglass. Sono questi i pezzi forti che i Lords Of The Trident mettono in campo per uscire vincitori da questa ennesima prova, che non deluderà sicuramente gli amanti del genere, anche se Frostburn, come scritto, rimane il loro album migliore. – 7.7/10 ALBERTO CENTENARI, Metal Eyes (August 27th, 2018)

“…en kunnen live voor extra sfeer zorgen, vooral als je weet dat Lords Of The Trident erom bekend staan om veel pyro’s en confettiekannonnen te gebruiken, terwijl ze zich uitdossen in middeleeuwse kostuums. Liefhebbers van het (sub)genre kunnen dit ongegeneerd aan hun collectie toevoegen, die hard fanaten van extreme metal zullen dit links laten liggen. Indien je op zoek gaat naar de “Special Edition” (verkrijgbaar in Japan) krijg je twee extra nummers.” – 72/100 Luc Ghyselen Musika.be (August 22nd, 2018)

“…a song like ‘Figaro’ is a nifty composition. Pompous, a bit kitsch, but seductive. Mainly because of the vocals by Fang VonWrathenstein. It somehow reminds me of Crimson Glory musically. For example in the fierce ‘Brothers Of Cain’. One of the highlight is ‘Reapers Hourglass’…I think Lords Of The Trident could be a welcome addition to the European festival circuit, bringing fun and great music. This is a entertaining album, musically very enjoyable, lyrically funny and a good production. Time for Lords Of The Trident to sail the European shores. ” – 83/100 Wim R. Lords of Metal (August 22nd, 2018)

“Shadows From The Past is described as more ambitious, complex and mature than their previous six albums.  A squeaky clean and well balanced mix combined with the vocalist’s crystal clear annunciation ensures the listener will hear every epic word.  Without preamble, “Death Dealer” leads with hook laden riffs and a pair of stratospheric wails before settling into an Epic Heavy Metal sword and shield banging groove.  “Zero Hour” continues the up-tempo Valkyrie charge with more relentlessly emotive riff and lyric combinations. ” – 6/10 Zac Halter, Metal Express Radio (August 20th, 2018)

“LORDS OF THE TRIDENT will be unleashing their 7th album “Shadows From The Past” on August 24th and in celebration of this new platter from their discography, they’re are premiering their second single and new lyric video “Burn It Down” featuring Unleash The Archers vocalist Brittany Slayes. “Shadows From The Past” was supported by a kickstarter campaign that went live on June 1st and ending on June 29th.  During that month, the band’s fans helped them surpass their goals to raise over $11,000 for the release.

No doubt, an interesting album since first song called DEATH DEALER.

ZERO HOUR starts strong and full of pathos, enhanced by a vocals’ range that offers so many solutions, while TORMENTOR starts as a VAN HALEN’s song before turning in somethin’ classic but never obvious. BURN IT DOWN (WITH FIRE) sounds classic, alternating Maiden’s moments, before FIGARO, our fav, so epic and ” pomp”, but able to be catchy when it needs with more POWER HM moments, before developing itself in somethin’ melodic..perfect changes of times for a really complete song! THE PARTYHAS ARRIVED is a little intro for BROTHERS OF CAIN, a classic HM song with epic drops. We goes on with the great REAPER’S HOURGLASS and CHASING SHADOWS, the second one with a progressive attitude. THE NAMELESS TOMB and THE GATEKEEPER, a great power HM, end in the best way this great new platter!” – 82/100 HardRockHeavyMetal Reviews (August 4th, 2018)

““The Most Metal Band on Earth”, so lautet der augenzwinkernde Untertitel zum Bandnamen. OK, bis zur Weltherrschaft ist es noch ein gutes Stück Weg. Aber auf “Shadows From The Past” zeigen die US-Boys, dass es ihnen durchaus ernst damit ist. Sie haben ein grundsolides Album eingespielt, das von Anfang bis Ende für großen Hörspaß sorgt, auch wenn sie die Genialität der genannten Vorbilder nicht ganz erreichen. Der nächste Karriereschritt, der Sprung nach Europa, sollte jedoch durchaus machbar sein. Allerdings sollten sie sich von ihren albernen Künstlernamen trennen.” – 8/10, Keep On Rocking (August 3rd, 2018)

“Etwas Feuer im durchgehenden Weichspülgang entzündet Brittney Slayes‘ (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS) Gastbeitrag auf dem schnellen ´Burn It Down´, das zeitweise in die Nähe von RIOT gelangt und die Brechstange des Melodic Metal herausholt. Auch ´Brothers Of Cain´ sticht in dieselben Partituren. Doch bereits der Opener ´Death Dealer´ gibt handzahm den Power Metal zum besten, für den er seit den späten 90ern gehalten wird. Der immerzu latente Bezug zu FALCONER kommt dagegen spätestens in ´The Nameless Tomb´ endgültig zum Vorschein.” – 7/10 MICHAEL HAIFL, Streetclip Reviews (July 31st, 2018)

“Shadows From The Past” is full of grand tales of legends and lore. The influences of musicians such as Judas Priest, King Diamond, Dio and Iron Maiden can be found clearly throughout the album; that being said, The Lords Of The Trident certainly have a caliber of their own. They bring a unique and fun spin to the power metal genre. This album is full of everything we love about power metal, and you can feel this album awaken the warrior within you!” – Emily Niesen, Overdrive Music Magazine (July 31st, 2018)

Clearly influenced by power metal in the vein of Helloween, Hammerfall, and countless others that could be named here, LOTT are clearly in their element performing power metal and killing it. Fang, aka Ty Christian, has a quality to his voice that reminds me so much of Niklas Isfeldt, formerly of Dream Evil. But when he has to, he can get up there and really wail away with all the confidence in the world. Guitarists Asian Metal and Killius Maximus have got the power metal chops down perfectly. With the twin melodies they create and then the speed, it’s clear these guys can play the instruments with more than an amateur proficiency. 4/5 – Greg Watson, Maximum Metal (January 15th, 2017)

Overall, Lords Of The Trident’s third album is a solid alternative to those who feel that the power metal legends such as Helloween have faltered on their most recent efforts. The Plan Of Attack EP may be the band’s strongest moment but Frostburn is a strong recommendation to those still unfamiliar with the band’s methods of madness. One can sense that the band is on the cusp of something truly inspiring. – Chris Latta, Psychic Shorts (December 7th, 2015)

Gli arrangiamenti dei brani contenuti nell’album “Frostburn” sono tutti compatti e diretti senza rinunciare a qualche minimo fronzolo che però non inquina l’immediatezza. Riescono a coinvolgere con un rock già sentito mille volte, ma che non annoia. In questo, il brano d’apertura “Knights of Dragon’s Deep“, come anche la successiva “The Loungest Journey“, sono un ottimo esempio. Stesso discorso per “Wind of The Storm” con le chitarre serrate, ma pulite. Sorprendentemente queste influenze non si fermano al rock AOR anni ’80 ma, specie in alcuni riff, si sentono reminiscenze Hawkwind (e come poteva essere altrimenti?), mischiate a vocalizzi che omaggiano quelli tipici di Tallarico degli Aerosmith, come in “Manly Witness“. – Giorgio Barnia, Rome By Wild (December 3rd, 2015)

Fans of power metal should definitely checkout Frostburn. The record is very energetic as well as very well made. Lords of the Trident as a band have a lot of character, talent and seeing what they do after this could be quite interesting. 8/10 – Steven Lornie, Demonzone (October 13th, 2015)

Instead of trying to become copycats of a great band of the 80’s, they fuse their influences and filter them under their own personality and because of that they manage to craft a sound that is old school and yet has fresh ideas and a certain originality. I think that I won’t exaggerate if I say that “Frostburn” is one of the best heavy metal releases of this year that shine because of their maturity, enthusiasm and creativity. 8.5/10 – Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis, Behind The Veil Webzine (August 5th, 2015)

   Track to track, the Lords of the Trident’s Frostburn is nothing short of a power metal masterpiece that everyone who enjoys this type of music needs to hear. That being said, the album lives up to the band’s claim of being “the most metal band on earth” and given time, they just might rival the long reigning kings of metal themselves. Look out Manowar, the Lords of the Trident are coming for your crown. 10/10 – Brett Kihlmire, Metal At the Gates (July 12th, 2015)

Firmly rooted at the cross section between US power metal and traditional, NWoBHM influenced heavy metal of the 80s, opener “Knights of Dragon’s Deep” unites all of the band’s trademarks and strengths in one nice package, great vocals, a gripping chorus, tight riffing and dynamics, lending the band the authenticity many bands strive for, but ultimately fail. And this seriousness definitely shows that there is a lot of substance hidden underneath these costumes and attire. The super harmonic guitars of “The Longest Journey” make it an insanely catchy, but never shallow, track, whereas “Winds of the Storm” and “Den of the Wolf” add a few notches and closing “Shattered Skies” is a grandiosely epic and very dynamic closer to finish off an album that shows a few dryer spells in the middle (from “Manly Witness” to “Kill to Die” to be precise), where they have good moments and ideas, but don’t quite manage to keep things up at the same level. 7.5/10 – Alex Melzer, The Metal Observer (June 1st, 2015)

A Lords of the Trident performance is not your average local music show, it’s entertaining on another level. At first blush the band appears to be a parody of metal, dressed in costumes right out of some medieval (or futuristic, which is it?) science fiction series, brandishing flaming guitar and microphone props, encouraging singalongs and knighting audience members onstage. One could draw the conclusion that LotT don’t take themselves seriously. That would be a mistake. This is a collection of some of the most accomplished musicians in the city with a wicked rhythm section, a twin-guitar assault by two of the best shredders around and a vocalist who is on parallel with Rob Halford of Judas Priest, to which LotT are often compared. You don’t even need to like metal to love Lords of the Trident and that may be their greatest feat. Lords of the Trident have been on a continuous roll since forming in 2005. Frostburn is their fifth recording (including their “holiday” EP, A Very Lords of the Trident Christmas) and their first since signing with German label Killer Metal Records . The band has progressed from a dorm room recording project to a fully functional touring outfit and one of the most popular bands in the city. There has been a revolving door of sorts when it comes to band members. Vocalist Ty Christian (Fang Von Wrathenstein) and guitarist Akira Shimada (Asian Metal) are the mainstays with guitarist Elliot Ignasiak (Killius Maximus) joining soon after. Bassist Brent Clark (Pontifex Mortis) and drummer Joe Scarpelli III (Dr. Dante Vitus) are the most recent additions. Ignasiak will soon depart for an extended visit to the Himalayas and new member Brian Koenig (Baron Taurean Helleshaar) who most recently served as lead guitarist for Luna Mortis, has been initiated into the fold. For the full background story (which is hilarious) check the band’s bio. Christian recruited ace Madison producer Doug Olson who also worked on the band’s 2013 release Plan of Attack. The sound is crisp and taut, a veritable orgy of guitars buoyed by relentless melodic vocal ear candy. Another band that comes to mind is Queensryche (at their best) and Frostburn was mastered by Dan Harjung who has worked with that band as well as other notables. “Winds of the Storm” stands out but really there is not a weak song in the bunch. Dragons, impending darkness, epic battlefields, super-heroic feats of valor and tales of destiny abound. For supreme guitar soloing check “Manly Witness.” Astounding. The band break from the solos into a brief drum fill, build to a rousing climax and an ear-piercing scream from Christian. The twin guitar prowess is on full display in “Haze of the Battlefield,” the phrasing perfectly in synch, each squeezed note perfectly placed. The band excels at reproducing these techniques live. “Kill to Die” is a vocal workout, Christian up in his falsetto range for a large part of the track. Throughout the album, Christian’s self-harmonizing is impressive and lifts the album out of mere guitar histrionics. They’ve already created the theme to the movie series Fast and Furious XIV with “Light This City.” Maybe they can follow this with the theme to Mad Max XXV on their next album. Don’t let the brief interludes of acoustic guitar or the brief “The Cloud Kingdom” (with actual keyboards!) lead you astray, you will be assaulted with glorious metal shimmer and the Lords of the Trident will see to it that you are fully redeemed, saved from the world of ordinary slavery to mundaneness. This is escape music from a world of dread into an imaginary world that is even more dreadful, leaving their subjects grateful for the life they do have, and able to carry on for another day – until the next Lords of the Trident show where they will make each and every audience member and fan matter. – Rick Tvedt, Local Sounds Magazine (May 28th, 2015)

At least an unusual band with an attitude that might refer to comics, or a Gwar version meets the beauties of Lordi and add some fantasy atmosphere to get the job done. Sometimes I wonder why they have a kind of despise as the music of LOTT is much more mature and professional compared with the outfits of the members and the charisma in general. They transfer their songs into a fantasy world where knights and dungeons were daily topics, while the enchanted forest unleashed dragons and myths. It’s like a good song is transposed to a gimmick world and that’s totally unnecessary. ‘Knights of Dragon’s Deep’ is a perfect opener for an album, as it’s inviting to dive into the metal of LOTT for the upcoming 45 minutes. Guitars produce Heavy Metal arrangements while the vocals sprinkle a melodic approach to the heaviness. ‘The Longest Journey’ is slower but at the same time heavier with a lot of outstanding riffing from beginning on. The vocals are more ‘sensitive’ but things work out very well. There is a video for the track ‘Winds Of The Storm’ and this song captures all ingredients that are typical for LOTT. Well driven, good pace, outstanding vocals (‘erupted from a volcano of metal and steel at the beginning of time’, so they say), and guitars that are executed with a nice shredding effect. Again there is interaction between the faster songs on this album and the slower ones. ‘Manly Witness’ is heavy as hell but at the same time a track with an encouraging chorus line. It has an 80ies feeling and approach and leads us into the calm intro and ballad-esque beginning of ‘Haze Of The Battlefield’. The album continues with another portion of action after this rather slow moment with ‘Kill To Die’, one of the heaviest and fastest songs on “Frostburn”. Fang von Wrathenstein has all necessary elements to be considered as ‘a good metal vocalist’ as he’s leading his voice from heights to depths, but never exorbitant. After listening to this album for a few times, I must admit that I had several times the ‘Europe’ feeling. The songs have the same maturity but at once also the property that a melodic touch can match to a heavier layer. 85/100 – Sloof, MetalToInfinity (May 10th, 2015)

Lords of the Trident – aha….warum erinnert mich der Bandname irgendwie an Zahncreme ? Egal…wir haben’s hier mit fünf Jungs aus Madison, Wisconsin zu tun, die mit „Frostburn“ bereits ihr drittes Album herausgebracht haben. Was bei der Truppe zuerst auffällt, sind die bescheuerten Masken, welche die Musiker tragen. Hier wird man unweigerlich an Bands wie Grailsknight oder sonstige Kasperletheater-Figuren erinnert. Zudem noch die Pseudonyme jedes Einzelnen, wie beispielsweise Fang von Wrathenstein (vocals), Killius Maximus (guitars) oder Pontifex Mortis (drums)…ich komm aus dem Lachen gar nicht mehr raus. Auffallen um jeden Preis ist also angesagt und wenn man sich dann selbst als „the most Metal band on Earth“ bezeichnet ist zumindest Skepsis angebracht. Doch trotz allen Klamauks muß man der Band zugute halten, daß sie durchaus was kann. Die Band spielt melodischen Heavy Metal, der meist ohne Tralala-Passagen auskommt und eher traditionellen Bands wie den Scorpions ähnelt, als den vielen Power Metal Bands dieser Welt. Bereits der Opener „Kights of Dragon’ s Deep“ zeigt, daß hier ein guter Sänger am Werk ist und auch die Musikanten stilsicher unterwegs sind. Der eingängige Refrain lässt keine Wünsche offen, lediglich der Chrorus im Blind Guardian Stil ist mir ein wenig zu hoch. Auch im folgenden „The Longest Journey“ überzeugt die tolle, klare Gesangsstimme, die mich ein bisschen an Gil Moore von Triumph erinnert und ein harmonischer Refrain. Zudem gibt es gar ein bisschen Van Halen Gitarre zu hören. Die Band lässt sich ganz gut was einfallen, um abwechslungsreich zu bleiben. So beginnt „Light this City“ zum Beispiel mit einem aufheulenden Motorengeräusch , wird danach zum straighten Midtempo Rocker und bietet diverse Fight..fight..fight- Chöre. Oder das Scorpions-mäßige „Manly Witness“ mit klasse Gitarrensolo, das mit über 6 Minuten zudem recht lang ausgefallen ist. Nicht zuletzt glänzt man auch mit dem von einem Kirchenorgel-meets-Akkustikgitarre eingeleiteten Abschlußtrack „Shattered Skies durch dargebotene Epik inklusive elegischem Zwischenpart. Alles ist nicht Gold was glänzt. So verursacht die Mickey-Mouse Kopfstimme bei „Kill to Die“ echt Zahnschmerzen (Trident ?). Vom Song her ein einziger Speed-Metal Langweiler. Bei „Winds of the Storm“ zitiert man zu extrem bekannte Metal-Riffs und der Refrain kommt leider zu flach. Trotzdem kann man Lords of the Trident bescheinigen, daß sie ein gutklassiges Melodic-Metal traditioneller Gangart eingespielt haben, welches irgendwie in krassem Gegensatz zu dem affigen Image der Maskerade etc. steht. Ein paar songwriterische Schwächen noch ausgemerzt, dann steht der musikalischen Karriere nichts mehr im Wege. Optisch auffallen tut man ja schon einmal…. 7/10 – Monkey Castle Reviews (April 28th, 2015)

Rock Hard Magazine’s Soundcheck (cumulative review of 12 reviewers) – 68.5/100