MEMORIES OF OLD - The Zeramin Game

MEMORIES OF OLD

Album: The Zeramin Game

Genre: Symphonic Powermetal

Release Date: September 18th 2020

Country: UK

Label: Limb Music GmbH

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / FACEBOOK

“Far across the Universe, deep into the unknown, there was a world called Xia, forgotten and alone…” Any fantasy fans here? MEMORIES OF OLD invite you to join them on a symphonic journey to “The Zeramin Game”. The five-piece band is heading from the UK, and I was surprised when I realized that this is their debut album, as everything fits so well together. But a closer look at the line-up reveals, that there are some experienced musicians at work. What began as a one-man project of Billy Jeffs (NightMare World), who started the song-writing in 2017, turned into a full band soon, when singer Tommy Johansson (guitarist for Sabaton/Majestica, ReinXeed), keyboarder Anthony Thompson (NightMare World), bassist Erick Tekilla, and drummer James Chapman came on board.

The rainbow-colored, detailed cover artwork and booklet clearly address to fans of fantasy films and gaming. The story is split up in Act I (departure / journey) and II (the Zeramin Game). Everything begins with a short intro, “In Exordium”, and the deep voice of narrator John Redden brings in the perfect tale mood. The following overture catches the musical main themes, as it should be to grab your attention. All promising so far.

Track No3 introduces “The Land of Xia” thematically, and it’s the first appearance of singer Tommy Johannson here. For me, this is always an important point while exploring an album, and in this case, I was mesmerized from the beginning. His warm, powerful voice fits perfectly into the symphonic context, the vocal range is impressive. Musically, the song brings in all powermetal elements in a great way: awesome guitar and keyboard work, fast drumming, supported by strong background harmonies. “Zera’s Shadow” continues in the same mode, but with variation in rhythmics and pace.

The following “Some Day Soon”, which invites you to sing along, and “Destiny” slow things down. The two songs explain the motivation of the protagonists to start their journey. “Across the Sea” sets the sails with an accordion, which makes it obvious that the trip will continue on a ship. The sounds of waves and pirate voices announce the “Arrival”. Both are again in best symphonic metal manner.

Act II introduces “A Hooded Traveller”, “a man with an untold story of his own…”. The following “Fowlen’s Revenge” is one of my favorites on the album because of its incredible dynamic. The great show-down comes with the 14-minutes title track, which is definitely the highlight here.

“The Zeramin Game” is a colourful, musical tale, highly recommended for fans of symphonic powermetal. The music could easily be used as a film soundtrack, and should be enjoyed in its entirety because of the amazing story-telling (even though the songs work on their own too). The production is great, artwork and the detailed booklet fit in very well. Thanks to varied song-writing, the mesmerizing vocals, and awesome musicianship of all band members, the debut album of MEMORIES OF OLD became an entertaining, epic fantasy journey. Dive in!

Written by Katha