Fer de Lance - Fires on the Mountainside

Fer de Lance are undoubtedly one of the best epic metal bands to emerge on our scene in recent years. Their debut EP, Colossus (2020), already featured several songs that could be awarded top marks. The following LP, The Hyperborean (2022), was also impressive across the board – partly due to some stylistic developments that gave Fer de Lance even more originality. I was able to see for myself at Keep it True that the guys are also extremely likeable and entertaining people off stage.

Against this backdrop, it's no surprise that I eagerly awaited the second LP, Fires on the Mountainside. To be honest, I was already sure beforehand that the Chicago quartet would not disappoint me. But of course, the question remained whether there would be a few new stylistic accents.

The album begins with an exclamation mark, as the title track, at almost 13 minutes, is also the longest song in Fer de Lance's discography to date – surpassing the title track of the previous album, which served as the closing track in 2022, by a full 2 minutes. “Fires on the Mountainside“ offers everything I love about this band: MP's powerful, heroic vocals are extremely recognisable. Every epic metal band can only dream of having a frontman like him, as he really makes the listener want to grab a sword and go into battle. The vocal lines are enormously distinctive, often majestic and really get under your skin. If you don't have a tear in your eye every now and then, you've never felt epic metal.

But Fer de Lance have much more to offer, of course, as all the songs on 2025 show once again: just like on their earlier releases, the band creates an intense atmosphere that totally captivates me and transports me to faraway worlds.. The magnificent guitar melodies, for which MP and J. Geist are responsible, are outstanding. Equally great are the acoustic guitars played by Rüst, which – like the perfectly interspersed heroic choirs – contribute to a sublime mood that reminds me again and again of Bathory's masterpiece Blood on Ice (1996).

And here I see one of the new touches of colour in the soundscape mentioned above, as I hear Quorthon even more on Fires on the Mountainside than on Colossus and The Hyperborean. The same applies to Primordial, who are of course also strongly influenced by Bathory, and whom I would like to mention here as another world-class reference. However, I would like to emphasise that Fer de Lance are not epigones and combine familiar elements into something new that is fascinating in its own way.

It's hard to pick just one track to recommend from this work of art, because all the songs are brilliant. However, so as not to be a spoilsport, I will mention “Children of the Sky and Sea“. In seven minutes, the band exemplifies everything that makes them so irresistible. MP sings his heart out, the rhythm section is powerful and energetic, and the divine guitars lift the listeners into metal heaven to celebrate with Ozzy.

All in all, Fer de Lance once again prove themselves to be one of the most fascinating epic metal bands around, who really deserve much more attention and much higher spots on the bill at renowned scene festivals. Fer de Lance are authentic, passionate and extremely talented. I am curious to see where the journey will take them in the coming years. Literally, hopefully to Germany, because the above-mentioned performance at KIT was one of the best of the festival for me – ending it with “Hall of the Mountain King“ fit perfectly into the picture.

Fer de Lance on Bandcamp: Click here.