Freternia is a power metal band from Sweden formed in 1998, releasing two albums in quick succession – ‘Warchants & Fairytales’ (2000) and ‘A Nightmare Story’ (2002) – and then disappearing from the limelight for the next seventeen years, reappearing in 2019 with ‘The Gathering’ – a ground shuddering slab of heavy/power metal that returned Freternia to the worldwide power metal scene. And three years on from the band’s emphatic “second coming”, they’re back with a new album ‘, The Final Stand’…
…released in 2022. The band’s fourth album is ten songs and fifty minutes of all-out, fast-paced power metal, opening with ‘Dark And The Light’ – a very heavy romp, owing much of its sound to traditional heavy metal. But when the chorus kicks in, the band immediately switch to infectious power metal and crowd-pleasing sing a long ability that is simply second to none. A cracking opening salvo that is quickly followed by the much faster paced ‘Elvenstar’ – and a thunderous attitude that just craves head banging. And headbanging you’ll do, for ‘Elvenstar’ has that invisible force that can rock your head back and forth without you even knowing it! Blistering stuff from one of Sweden’s finest power metal exports…
…but then, what else would you expect from Sweden? They are a country with a rich heritage for producing power metal bands – and it’s great to know that in the shape of bands such as Freternia, Sweden is looking strong for the future. ‘Endless Fight’ maintains the recent turn of speed but at a tempo that oozes the traditional feel of European power metal. The opening treble has been superb, the intensity top level, and the pace phenomenal – mosh pits all over the world are going crazy for some great headbang-able metal. The band are now flying at high velocity, ‘Shapeshifter’ scorching the Earth as it hurries on by – the purpose and intent so urgent you’re gonna have a hard time keeping up with this one! Freternia delivers a neck-breaking barrage of blistering power metal.
Performing at a red hot level, the band take their foot off the accelerator – for about forty seconds! The intro to ‘Flame Eternal’ indicates an impending mid-tempo anthemic march. But Freternia slams their foot down hard, ‘Flame Eternal’ rocketing off into the distance at an alarming rate. The energy and oomph are fantastic and have been since the album began. Let’s just hope the band took a fucking huge breath at the start and they have enough energy for the entire album. It certainly sounds like it with ‘Hate Eater’ frothing at the mouth as it strides into view and marches majestically forward. Marching with head held high, ‘Hate Eater’ is heavy anthemic metal at its best – the band delivering a hymn-like singing a long-able chorus. Blimey, the audience at a Freternia concert is gonna have their work cut out singing along to this one. That is brilliant stuff from a brilliant band. And although the pace dropped for ‘Hate Eater’, the intensity remained at a sky-high level, which is where ‘The Tower’ comes flying at you, diving hard like a jet fighter attacking an enemy compound! And with the same devastating accuracy – Freternia on fire as they roar past.
Returning to the blistering speed of earlier, the band devastate the airways with the phenomenal ‘Guardians Of Time’ setting new land speed records! Freternia has excelled in the realms of high velocity, exceeding speed limits at every opportunity. ‘The Final Stand’ (the album), a breathless rampage of power and pace – and there are still two songs left to go! The first of which is the roaring ‘Friends In Enemy Land’ – maintaining the album’s pace, punch, and intensity. The incredibly high energy level ain’t in danger of giving out other, the band having tonnes of it left in the tank – as the album comes to a glorious finish with the title song ‘The Final Stand’. And the return of the mid-tempo majestic swagger – albeit at its most thunderous. Anthemic and hymn-like metal fuse perfectly together, Freternia delivering an Earth-shuddering finale to what has been a cracking album.
Overall, a thundering high, velocity rampage of blistering power metal, full of energy, oomph, and headbang ability.
TRACKLIST
Dark And The Light
Elvenstar
Endless Fight
Shapeshifter
Flame Eternal
Hate Eater
The Tower
Guardians Of Time
Friends In Enemy Land
The Final Stand
Freternia: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
