RSS Feed


KONQUEST
Dark Waters

No Remorse (2026)
Rating: 8/10

With their third full-length album since forming in 2019, Italian metalheads Konquest bridge the gap between Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and 70s heavy rock such as Budgie. Dark Waters is a proper metal album, one which broods within its powerful framework of traditional metal values. The man behind it all is multi-instrumentalist Alex Rossi, a master craftsman when it comes to riff building and nostalgia, although Konquest is far from being mere mimicry.

Setting the tone for the album, the aptly titled ‘Turn The Lights Off’ begins with militant drumming before jolting into a slick New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-styled rattle. Rossi’s vocals have a somewhat early 80s British vibe, simply commanding the area while the drums gallop and the guitars skip with vigour There’s a genuine organic grit to the song, the vocals slightly set back from the driving riff but providing enough echo to send nostalgic chills down even the most hardened of spines.

From the first moments of the album to the last chords, this is honest hard grafting metal. Konquest is both stark and emphatic, casting their sturdy net to comb bleak shores of numerous influences. For instance, there’s a glorious late night 80s aura about ‘One Ticket For One Ride’, and the same goes for ‘Man With A Stone’. Konquest somehow manages to construct buoyant, anthemic vibes and boasting a stadium rock energy, particularly due to the axe work on the former.

The vocals are rich expressions throughout the opus, and they showcase a rawness too, especially on the cool ‘Mindwanderer’ with its NWOBHM feel. The drums also come into their own with this one too, as does the lead work and the backdrop of the darkly designed riff. ‘The Giant’ moves into a steady lope, but not before opening with a killer, slower riff that I wanted Konquest to continue with. It’s a relatively simplistic instrumental but one which keeps the juices flowing.

Beyond that, the album brings more of a quintessential British flow with ‘Over The Edge’ and the steady title cut. There’s no flashiness going on, just a band organically flowing by channelling the likes of Iron Maiden, as many do, but with a bit more chemistry and feel. The best, however, is arguably saved until last with the colossal eight-minute slow burn of ‘Kubla Khan (A Vision In A Dream)’. There’s hints of Angel Witch mixed with Manilla Road once the metal strikes, Rossi sounding like a ghost from the early 80s as his audience becomes immersed in the serene yet melancholic dreamscape of the cover art.

There’s something within the contours of this album that causes sparks and shivers in equal measure, and that’s all you need when it comes to the grand old genre known as heavy metal.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share