Band:	Lords Of Black
Album:	Alchemy Of Souls - Part 2
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	October 2021

01. Prelude (Alchimia Confessio 1458 A.D.)
02. Maker Of Nothingness
03. What's Become Of Us
04. Bound To You
05. Before That Time Can Come
06. Mind Killer
07. Death Dealer
08. Prayers Turned To Whispers
09. In A Different Light
10. How Long Do I Have Now
11. Fated To Be Destroyed
12. No Hero Is Homeless
13. Sympathy [Uriah Heep cover]

Lords Of Black dare to pose the question: "What would a band like Rainbow sound like in 2021?" The answer is twofold: A little out of space/time continuum and yet pretty darn good. Technically still a heavy metal band, the Spanish combo have been progressively and successfully veering toward a softer sound and Alchemy Of Souls - Part 2 continues that trend.

The album picks up where Alchemy Of Souls - Part 1 ended (big surprise) with plenty of memorable tunes mostly on the lighter side of hard rock / heavy metal. As for influences, several bands do come to mind, whether it is Pretty Maids or Revolution Saints on the one hand, to Primal Fear and InnerWish on the other hand. Overall it is still very much the Tony Hernando and Ronnie Romero show, with respectively high-quality heavy metal guitar work with a radio rock sound, and very impressive hard rock vocals. The rhythm section is there to support it all with flair but the music is by design as straightforward as can be.

Songs such as "What's Become Of Us", "Mind Killer" and "Death Dealer" crystallize everything Lords Of Black do to perfection: Driving rhythms, soaring vocals, catchy melodies, and impressive hooks. Sometimes the tempo is a little more mellow like on "Before That Time Can Come", on "Prayers Turned To Whispers", or on "In A Different Light". This slower pace only allows Ronnie’s voice to shine even more while Tony is busy turning into Michael Romeo. Now that I think of it, this band at times sound oddly like a talented radio-friendly version of Symphony X. The riff and overall song structure of "No Hero Is Homeless" is a testament to that. The cherry on top is the excellent Uriah Heep cover "Sympathy", a nice reminder that most of the best music ever was written in the 1970s.

This album is not revolutionary nor is it perfect but it has a certain charm and an interesting drive that keep bringing me back to it. What I like most is that the music just seems to unfold unforced. It does not come out as pretentious yet some of it is technically impressive. There is a quiet confidence about Lords Of Black that comes through. Ronnie Romero voice is so old school that it stands out, and his charisma is off the charts, which is why he’s now part of the resurrected Rainbow project with Ritchie Blackmore. Ultimately, Alchemy Of Souls - Part 2 is unlikely to change your mind about Lords Of Black. Unless you have never heard of them, in which case this is as good as an entry point as any other albums in their discography. If you are looking for straightforward quality heavy metal with olden radio rock influences however, this is most definitely one for you.