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PALANTYR
The Ascent & The Hunger EP

Jawbreaker (2025)
Rating: 8.5/10

Here’s an exciting French combo you need to hear. Hailing from Thionville, these guys formed in 2014 as Destrukt and carved out a decent discography of a live album, Going Down To Hell’s Crusade – Live In Germany (2017), one full-length studio outing, Unleash The Destruktors (2018), and two EPs, Wicked Night Killers (2019) and The Ascent (2023). I assume the members just fancied a change of moniker, but as a sample of what the Palantyr has to offer this is a very good EP, featuring the three tracks from The Ascent EP along with three new songs. If you liked the recent Tower opus, Let There Be Dark, that I raved on about then I’d recommend you hop on the Palantyr wagon.

The current incarnation of the band features guitarists Atlantès and Odysseus, bassist Léo Remy, drummer Yann Remy (Disfuneral) and front woman Athèna, and it’s her vocal prowess which takes the sound of Palantyr to the next level.

Although less mystical than the Tower release, The Ascent & The Hunger still remains a mesmeric experience with its variety of heavy rock and epic metal influences and subtle touches which compliment the smokey vocals. The superb ‘Shan E Sorkh’ marches into earshot with a thumping drum and slow build riff before Athèna ghosts into the eardrums like a spectral mist. The song is immediate, its melody hypnotic as it develops into becoming something akin to speed metal. In fact, this track epitomises the Palantyr sound because there is versatility to be discovered whether with hastier passages or traditional metal values.

At some points the band, and more so the vocals, remind me of long forgotten all-female Los Angeles band Warbride; rich, warm and potent, especially with the smooth yet fiery flickers of ‘Ravenous’ which again seamlessly bridges the gap between mid-tempo metal and speedier rampages.

At their most epic, Palantyr constructs ‘Son Of The White Mare’, a staggering trad’ metal romp of sizzling leads, haunting vocal swirls and a wispy melody that cavorts over tree-tops and mountain peaks. Thrashy elements combine with wistful sorcery, and the more aggressive strikes also come to the fore with the driving closer ‘Graveyard’, another powerhouse of steel and smoke. You’ll also find an intriguing cover version within the mist, this being ‘Nosferatu’ which was originally composed by English songwriter Paul Roland who had a passion for all things esoteric.

Ignore Palantyr at your peril because The Ascent & The Hunger is one of 2025’s best releases.

Neil Arnold

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