{"id":105853,"date":"2026-02-13T00:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T00:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=105853"},"modified":"2026-03-05T10:13:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T10:13:00","slug":"album-review-greyhawk-warriors-of-greyhawk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-greyhawk-warriors-of-greyhawk\/","title":{"rendered":"GREYHAWK – Warriors Of Greyhawk (2026) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREYHAWK
\nWarriors Of Greyhawk<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nCruz Del Sur Music (2026)<\/span>
\nRating: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The cover art of this album takes me back to the glorious 80s when, as a young metalhead, I became obsessed with J.R.R. Tolkien and all things pertaining to goblins, elves, orcs and wizards. In the heavy metal domain such subjects remain predominant as evidenced with the third full-length outing from Seattle, Washington-based metallers Greyhawk.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame to see vocalist Rev Taylor no longer with the band, although he does appear on one track (\u2018Chosen\u2019). If you\u2019re not familiar with Greyhawk then expect commanding booms of emphatic epic metal led by recent acquisition Anthony Corso who, like some charismatic wizard on horseback, drives headlong into misty valleys with staff raised and respect earned. To his flanks, axe men Jesse Berlin and Rob Steinway provide sizzling sorcery. Leads and riffs fuse to form formidable walls of steel as \u2018Ascension\u2019 comes traipsing with cinematic aplomb. The sweep of Nate Butler\u2019s drums provides an impenetrable backdrop of stone, littered by the hard bass of Darin Wall. Corso\u2019s cries rise like mystical vapours as he barks: \u201cWe live in the shadows of dreams, with no reason to rise. Once, we had a vision of grandeur, but it all turned to lies\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Lyrically, the album reads like a tapestry of bombastic yarns spun from yellowed pages with burnt corners. \u201cWithin the crosshairs, the enemy in sight, our spears collide, ringing through the night. Fear in his eyes, mirror to mine, he runs me through, a tragedy divine,\u201d<\/em> Corso croons on \u2018Land Of Ashes\u2019, with its speed metal nuances. This is where the axe men come into their own, stealing the show with a Glenn Tipton \/ K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) style of metallic vim. It also showcases the versatility of the band which provides steady gallops on \u2018Take A Stand\u2019 and \u2018Embers Rise\u2019.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, on first viewing one could easily assume that Warriors Of Greyhawk<\/em> is going to be one of those timid, stuffy and cheesy 80s throwbacks, but you\u2019d be wrong. Instead, what you do get is a deadly dose of pure molten metal that really does throw its weight around. You won\u2019t hear many heavy metal tracks this year that are as evocative and emotionally nostalgic as \u2018Chosen\u2019 or \u2018Endless Race\u2019, but the main ingredient I marvel at is the axe work. The band keeps things fresh with hasty scorches that aren\u2019t afraid of becoming borderline speed metal exercises. Case in point, \u2018Hyperspace\u2019 with its Teutonic force, and there\u2019s the masterful, slamming storytelling of the majestic title tune. One cannot help but embark on the same adventure as those hammering drums and fiery riffs as Corso wails: \u201cIn a land once forgotten, there lies a city of gold, where the halls of the champion now rest, and his fable is told. So the One, he did wander, throughout the land, he would ride, He founded the Keepers Of Flame in the night, and called the skies to divide\u201d<\/em>. Such lyrical content just makes me want to cosy down around a campfire and regal tales of great lands, vast armies and esoteric secrets.<\/p>\n

In its simplest form this new Greyhawk platter can be described as epic heavy metal, but the AOR flashes of closer \u2018Eternal Quest\u2019 showcases a genuine flexibility and a stirring exploration of subtlety. While this album demands your attention as a masculine romp through Dungeons & Dragons<\/em> landscapes, it\u2019s first and foremost a prime example of how the future of the heavy metal genre is in safe and creative hands. While it\u2019s cool that heavy metal has always been somewhat of an eclectic and underground phenomenon, bands like Greyhawk should be up there with some of the finest acts of the last few decades. The fact they are not is criminal, so spread the spread and you too shall become a warrior of the Greyhawk.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREYHAWK Warriors Of Greyhawk Cruz Del Sur Music (2026) Rating: 8.5\/10 The cover art of this album takes me back to the glorious 80s when, as a young metalhead, I became obsessed with J.R.R. Tolkien and all things pertaining to goblins, elves, orcs and wizards. In the heavy metal domain such subjects remain predominant as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,4742],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-greyhawk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105854,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105853\/revisions\/105854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}