The first few months of 2025 haven’t produced many new albums that capture my aural attention. Summer festival season is kicking off soon, hopefully there will be some new heavy rock albums soon. The upside: it stretches the boundaries of what bands to sample. Enter, Palantyr latest six song set caught my attention immediately.

After listening to the mini album and read their brief bio noting similar bands to shape interest sampling the album, didn’t help. Bands referenced: Mystik (who?), Acid (heard of them, not their music), Smoulder (nope), Blood Star (same as Acid), and a couple more groups.

Usually, my eye goes straight to a list of bands to have a sense of what the group sounds like. It influences my interest. Insight into a music reviewer’s process sifting through the dense jungle of new music sent in. It’s a good “problem to have”.

NWOBHM sounds…from France. How about, NWOFHM.

About the album, that’s what we’re all here for…right?

The lead track is a doppelganger. “Shan-E-Sorkh” kicks off with a thumping drumbeat, power metal riff. Vocals kick in, a vibrato infused tenor. Her dynamics aren’t elite, however, not everyone is capable of RJD’s vocal fireworks.

“Shan E Sorkh” is a reference to a Conan Marvel comic story. The namesake is a harsh desert wasteland. Incorporating obscure sci-fi / fantasy fits the metal music landscape very well.

“Son of the White Mare” is a lengthy track, 8 plus minutes. Sweeping power metal sections, clash into furious Iron Maiden “Killers” era speed metal guitar duels. Fade out big cymbal crashes.

“Nosferatu” is cover, by Paul Roland. A ghoulish, synth/goth song from 20 years ago. Seems like yesterday the song was destined to be a cultish heavy rock classic. Palantyr, add depth, stripped out the heavy synth sounds. A solid cover.

Fade into the next song, “Ravenous”. Acoustic guitars, synth guide the listener through a misty wilderness world, false outro the song amps up the aggression, building with heavy handed guitar accents, give way to an Iron Maiden and Armored Saint influenced galloping battery.

The album intrigues. There is not much (easily) found about the French quartet. Possibly by design to create mystery around the group. The production value is average at best.

It’s raw. No polished, over-obsessed sonic perfection here. A rougher production lends to classic metal groups, think early albums by Testament, Death Angel, Forbidden.

In a tech obsessed modern age, hearing well-crafted songs without a seven-figure big record label recording budget is music to this writer’s ears.

The sixth and final track, “Graveyard” leaves you wanting to smash replay. What the fuck was that!? A thrash/power/metal punk rock mash up. Getting images of a supergroup formed with members of the Misfits, Savatage and Kreator.

Quintet or sextet, the group alternates lead guitar duties. The cloaked mystery of the band doesn’t stop there. Each player also goes by a pseudonym:

Vocals: Athéna
Guitar: Atlantés
Drums: Y.R.
Bass guitar: L.R.
Lead guitar (songs 1-3): Ravenheart
Lead guitar (songs 4-6): Odysseus

The band has endured numerous band lineup changes. After so many players rotating in and out of the band, the group’s name morphed from Destrukt to Palantyr .

A band history in their bio reads like an obituary:

Athéna -Vocals (2022 – )
Krossbones – Bass (2021- )
Karburator – Guitar (2014 – )
Odysseus – Guitar (2024 -)
Deathripper – Drums (2016 – )

Past members:
K. W – Vocals (2014)
D. K – Vocals (2016)
D. B – Drums (2014-2016)
Tetanoizer – Vocals (2017-2018)
Blackwitch – Bass (2015 – 2021)
Exumator – Vocals (2018 – 2022 )
Ravenheart – Guitar (2022 – 2024)

Despite all the upheavals, intrigued to hear more from the lycanthropic musicians currently named Palantyr. Where this loud rock story goes, I’m all in. https://palantyr-heavymetal.bandcamp.com/music