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ARMOURED KNIGHT
The Quest For The Sacred Melody

Dying Victims Productions (2025)
Rating: 7/10

Chilean metallers Armoured Knight has most certainly been on a quest, having first appeared on the scene back in 2009, but it’s clearly taken the band way too long to release a full-length. Okay, I won’t be too harsh seeing as they dissolved five years ago then returned just last year, but c’mon guys, three EPs and a demo in all that time just isn’t good enough. But let’s move on and into the depths of The Quest For The Sacred Melody, an eight-song offering that’s just a bit too short at 35 minutes.

There’s only one original member present, and that’s lead guitarist Cristian León who is joined by vocalist José Tapia, bassist Christopher Falk (both of whom have been in the band since 2017) and newest recruit, drummer Mario Vera. The sound of Armoured Knight belongs in the same stratosphere of bands like Blind Guardian and Helloween, except with this composition the production is way off the mark. For some reason the band has suffered at the hands of this awful mix which, obviously, doesn’t benefit the sound at all.

On the plus side this is a relatively strong if somewhat standard metal platter which boasts plenty of memorable melodies and engaging gallops. ‘Behind The Mask’ is a personal favourite due to its borderline thrashiness, and as equally nifty is ‘Forgotten Grace’. The combo certainly possesses talent which enables their successful navigation of a well trodden path. There are moments of pure yet musty 80s nostalgia, so maybe the odd production is intentional in summoning such ghosts.

Tapia doesn’t exactly warm the soul, his tones are off-kilter like a sword n’ sorcery obsessed teenager trying to direct his uninterested friends into battle across the fens. However, I’m constantly drawn into the speed metal aesthetics as early Running Wild are regularly touched on, but the mid-range stuffiness of ‘Endless Light’ also appeals like some crusty long lost power metal demo track from 1987.

There’s no denying the charm in this release, the obvious flaws somehow providing extra layers of weird warmth. ‘Oath Of The Sacred Melody’ is a noodle-fest that’ll appeal to the dead head shredders, proof also though that this album offers different avenues within its fret-frazzling framework. The goblins will no doubt be kept from the door with the force that is Armoured Knight.

Neil Arnold

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