The moment the listener hits the play button, the first track, Colle de la Croix de Fer, envelops them in a chilling and eerie ambiance. Setting the stage for the journey ahead, which leads into the second track, Parigi-Napoli, and the subsequent nine pieces. Rise of Tyrants unleashes a relentless forty-minute onslaught that will thunder through your speakers, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. Simultaneously, the lyrics drag your soul on a concept revolving around the character of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza, an evil priest who deceives the weakest for perverse purposes.
The lyrics talk about abuses, violence, and injustices with an ironic and sarcastic tone. This is my first encounter with Rise Of Tyrants, and I must say, it’s been an eye-opening experience. Having already released two full-length albums, I recently stumbled upon The Chronicles of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza, and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. Their last album dropped in 2019, and from what I read, “Rise of Tyrants” has made a thunderous comeback, fiercer and more relentless than ever. Indeed, “The Chronicles of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza” is a brutal fruit of art.
This powerhouse from Bergamo has unleashed an eleven-track barrage of raw, brutal and heavy self-produced intensity that makes their previous work seem like mere practice. “The energy is sharper, darker, and more aggressive. With Davide Cantamessa at the helm, delivering a relentless barrage of raw power and versatility, the vocals range from savage growls to piercing metal screams and haunting blackened rasps.” [Rise Of Tyrants]
Simultaneously, Chronicles of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza captivates the listener with its meticulously crafted and tightly woven soundscape that grips you from the very first note. The artistry and devilmanship embedded within Rise of Tyrants is a powerful force, cutting deep into the soul and resonating through the music itself. The Chronicles of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza operates like a finely tuned machine, showcasing a harmonious blend of musicality, instrumentation, and lyrical depth. The production is polished to an immaculate sheen, allowing every nuance of sound to emerge clearly, from the initial drop to the final echo.
The ferocity of the music strikes like divine wrath, crashing through speakers with an overwhelming presence. Federico‘s guitar work is relentless, unleashing a barrage of riffs that layer death metal aggression with an intensity that feels suffocating. The rhythm section drives forward with the might of a war engine, while Luca’s bass lines establish a robust backbone. Virgilio’s drumming acts as a relentless battering ram, dismantling the very structure of the sound. Cantamessa’s vocal performance slices through the sonic landscape, effortlessly transitioning between guttural growls, visceral screams, blackened rasps and commanding tones that seize your focus.
If you’re a fan of intense and powerful metal music, this album might be right up your alley.
The album concludes with the final track, Armando The Preacher. We want to give a shoutout to Brutal Records for letting us review Rise of Tyrants and their album The Chronicles of Cardinal Pablo Mendoza. Now, we are going to conclude the review by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
