Greyhawk / Warriors of Greyhawk – Album Review

Let’s face it, vocalist changes can easily be the hardest for a band to weather. A good vocalist generally functions as the face and identity of a band, and a change almost certainly means a different sound and dynamic. Seattle metallers Greyhawk recently went through this, with their original vocalist, Rev Taylor, deciding to leave the band to focus more exclusively on his opera career. He is a gifted baritone and hence brought a different vibe to Greyhawk’s blend of power adjacent mix of heavy metal and hard rock. As expected, many fans were concerned, and even since the introduction of new vocalist Anthony Corso, people were drawing comparisons and bemoaning the fact that they missed Rev.

I remember the first time I really had the opportunity to talk to Anthony. He is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, literally able to play everything well, but he hadn’t fronted a band before. He admitted some level of imposter syndrome and natural concern that he wouldn’t be received as well as the previous vocalist, either from a recorded or live standpoint. Stylistically, he is very different than Rev, so that alone would contribute to a very different sound from the previous 2 Greyhawk albums.

Well, I am going to say this right now. No offense to Rev in any way, but I feel that Anthony is a far superior vocalist with more versatility and range, and the brand new album, “Warriors of Greyhawk,” is the band’s best release so far, and it isn’t even close. This album is heavier and faster, more firmly planted in the world of power metal, while still deftly blending in traditional heavy metal and AOR sensibility. Anthony is literally on fire, comfortable in lower ranges, while ecstatically soaring to Geoff Tate highs. He joked with me after a recent show that he went crazy with his vocals for this album, and he might regret it live, and he wasn’t kidding. You know who else went crazy? Guitar shred extraordinaire Jesse Berlin, who clearly let the reigns loose here. He is a sight to see live, but I never quite felt the same energy from the previous releases. That is a complete non-issue here, with absolutely phenomenal guitar leads and solos that cause smoke to emanate from the strings. He is complemented well by Rob Steinway (who plays double duty with bass player Darin Wall in symphonic power metal band Glyph) with chunky rhythms and some dueling solo action. Darin’s low end is powerful, and he and Rob also contribute nice gang-like background vocals to add extra oomph from time to time. Drummer Nate Butler is fabulous as always, adding lots of technicality to his powerful kit mastery. Greyhawk has crafted 11 songs that will get you ready for battle, your heart racing and your head banging, with powerful melodies and technical proficiency that are energetic and fun! It is also cool to see the band playing homage at times to their previous material, including bringing Rev back for a feature (more on that in a bit).

“Ascension” kicks off in epic fashion, with a great guitar lead and massive feel, a mid-paced burner with a killer groove incorporating a variety of rhythms. Anthony shows off his range immediately while also showcasing the heartfelt passion he pours into every lyric. The gang vocals late in the verses add a nice dynamic, and the chorus is so singable while laying atop a killer guitar riff. The guitar solo is smoking hot, a great sign of things to come. This is such a great opener, setting the tone for the rest of the album, and holy crap those high notes at the end!

“Land of Ashes” sprints out of the gate with a speed / power riff, drums ablaze, and Anthony absolutely on fire. The chorus uses the title as a backing refrain by the rest of the band in a dueling nature with Anthony, creating an aura of excitement as the song screams along. The drumming is exceptional, and the guitar solo, with harmonized goodness, will burn your ears. No wonder they are singing about a land of ashes! Also, check out how long that last vocal line is held out for!

“Take a Stand” is back to a mid-paced gallop, bringing in more of that traditional heavy metal feel. The chorus dueling mechanic shows up here as well, and I love the additional guitar flourishes throughout. The guitar solo here is one of my favorites on the album, particularly with its layered raining down effect in the backhalf. And I just get chills when Anthony soars like he does at the end.

“Endless Race” might be my favorite song on the album. This is unadulterated speedy power metal fury emblazoned with killer guitar leads and crushing drums along with what I think is one of Anthony’s best and most versatile performance on the entire album. You are treated to his first true low vocals on the album contrasted with his most consistently high vocals, though he goes even higher on a couple future songs. The guitars really shine, adding extra layers to the power riffing along with a lightspeed solo. The drumming is a highlight, effortlessly navigating the breakneck pace and the brief respites from the speed.

The title track is the album’s longest and has such a massive feel to it. It is one of the slowest songs on the album while still being a hefty, driving force. It opens with an ethereal feel, an ominous aura enveloping a handful of short samples from previous Greyhawk material over syncopated drumbeats, building the lore and setting context for the forthcoming story. The verse sees Darin getting a chance to shine, driving the rhythm with a nice bass groove, interleaved with big guitar riffs to build presence as the song progresses. Anthony chooses a lower register to begin, giving homage to Rev’s vocal style, before letting loose later. The chorus has an epic triumphant character to it, making you want to pump your fists in the air. The guitar solos are shorter and more interspersed rather than featured, a mechanic that works so well with this song’s composition. In the final minute, the song picks up the pace, which at least for me signifies the band’s newer direction. There is so much to love about this song, as it feels a bit like it is chronicling the band’s journey, saying goodbye to Rev, and welcoming Anthony.

“Words of Power” picks the pace way up, melding traditional and power metal elements seamlessly, with killer drumming and amazing guitar riffs. Anthony is literally ridiculous in this song, pushing Geoff Tate / Daniel Heiman like limits, a live experience I quite look forward to. The guitar solo, my personal favorite on the album, has a neoclassical character to it as it melts your face off while the strings are literally burning off the frets. The energy never lets up, and the song feels like it is over before you realize what has happened. My son noticed that I played this song 5+ times consecutively at one point, clearly making this another favorite for me.

“Chosen” brings former vocalist Rev in, and his rich baritone is immediately recognizable as the song begins. This song hearkens back to the traditional metal roots that Greyhawk was founded on and serves as a nice bridge from the older material. The guitar melodies and solo feel like they dropped right out of the 80’s, and you even get some keyboards to kiss the riffage. The interplay between Rev and Anthony is amazing, and I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t love to see this type of dynamic more. The chorus in particular showcases this, with Rev’s choirlike refrain dueling Anthony’s higher register.

“Hyperspace” has a frenetic power metal pace, giving occasional brief reprieves before continuing its race into intergalactic themes. Anthony’s voice is literally experiencing hyperspace with its punchy delivery and stratospheric notes. Before this album I truly didn’t know what he was capable of, but he literally sounds like Daniel Heiman just after the 3 minutes mark as he approaches whistle note territory. The extended guitar solo right before this is also a wow, over 30 seconds of fantastic fretboard gymnastics, and the big ending is a lot of fun.

“Embers Rise” has a classic heavy metal feel to it, vocals soaring over the chunky melodic riffs. I love the progression in the chorus, amping up the nostalgia factor with a fresh coat of polish. The guitar solo is a tale of 2 parts, with the first feeling more like a throwback jam session, and the second a neoclassical foray. Songs like this demonstrate the balance Greyhawk brings to the table, and I absolutely love it.

“Rise Above” continues the nostalgia factor, with the only song that truly feels like a power ballad, but with a twist. The vocal composition and performances, both lead and backing, are phenomenal, and you get an atmospheric feel that permeates the song’s fabric. Some of the airy instrumental sections remind me of King’s X, particularly from their late 80’s and early 90’s era, and I am in love with the guitars in this song. As different as this song is from most of the rest of the album, it is easily one of the standout tracks, with a powerful message and stunning delivery. The replayability is off the charts!

Closer “Eternal Quest” has an epic battle luster to it, complete with the unfolding story, enveloping keyboards, choir like refrains, and majestic feel. It continues the nostalgic energy from the previous two songs and keeps a slower pace, a bit of an unusual choice for a closing song. I do love my key changes, and we get one late. The song has a big feel, never really letting loose until the very end, but it feels more restrained than the rest, and admittedly it is not a favorite.

My biggest critique is that I am not in love with the song order on the back half of the album. I feel either “Hyperspace” or “Embers Rise” would have been better closing tracks rather than ending with 2 of the album’s slowest, stealing some of the momentum that had been built earlier. I do wonder if a song order change would also make me appreciate “Eternal Quest” more. That nit aside, this is an album that I have been playing nonstop, and I strongly believe it represents a strong step forward for Greyhawk. For those of you who preferred Rev’s vocals, I ask that you give this a strong chance, as it is an amazing album with songs that will stay stuck in your brain and features an absolutely elite vocalist and lead guitarist. And for those of you perhaps discovering Greyhawk for the first time, go get lost in these melodic power battle hymns! This is an incredible album and is starting the early part of 2026 strong!