I first discovered UK epic symphonic power metal band Sellsword in mid 2024 when they started releasing singles for their 2026 release, “…with Might and Vengeance.” I was giddy the first time I heard “Saxon Steel” and followed up by checking out previous album “…unto the Breach,” which I also quite enjoyed, though the vocalist was different (more on this in a bit). The band apparently has a penchant for album titles starting with ellipsis points and a conjunction (their debut is “…and Now We Ride”). They also love singing about fantastic battles and the stories around them, creating a universe that will transport you to the Middle Ages and place you right in the thick of their adventures. There is serious depth to the storytelling, adding additional richness that you don’t always get with albums that are very thematic or conceptual. And they are willing to take their time doing it, with song typically in the 5 – 6+ minutes range.

When I was first asked what “…with Might and Vengeance” sounded like, I described it as a mix of Majestica and Orden Ogan with Equilibrium cinematics, which got me some interesting looks to say the least. I hear lots of influences as I listen to this album, ranging from the symphonic power metal goodness and soaring vocals of Majestica, to the folksy power of Orden Ogan, to the cinematic storytelling of a Rhapsody or even earlier Kamelot. However, I can not shake how so much of the orchestration reminds me of Equilibrium, just without any of the extreme elements. And to be fair, Sellsword really sounds like none of these bands, as they definitely have crafted their own unique approach to epic power metal. Vocalist Nathan Harrison, who is new to the band as of this album, carries a gravitas to his vocals that matches the content so well, bringing a sense of grandiosity and emotion that grant him the feel of an epic storyteller, except he is singing rather than speaking. He spends most of his time in mid-range but has no issue soaring to the stratosphere, and he sounds effortless no matter what he is doing. The Tommy Johansson comparisons are hard not to draw, other than Tommy climbing to the rafters more regularly, and that puts him in pretty great company! The guitar work on this album is world class, and not just because they shred a lot (which they do!). The guitar melodies and harmonies are well thought out, and no two songs are identical, varying the power riffing with moving lead work and melodies that keep things super fresh. The bass is also great, holding down the bottom end, and the occasional times it gets featured work extremely well. The keys are an integral part of the compositions, working in tandem with the guitars while getting their own opportunities to lead, and again the melodies are memorable and work so well. The drumming is amazing, rarely hitting lightspeed but sprinkling in a lot of variety and doing a great job balancing speed with deftness while treating us to myriad rhythms and fills. And the orchestration is incredibly well constructed, adding so much character to each song and truly raising the level of each one. This album does a great job navigating familiar power metal territory while also weaving in many unique aspects, and the combination is executed super well and is quite memorable.

Cinematic opening instrumental track (and technically the title track) “With Might and Vengeance” sets the mood appropriately, preparing you for the epicness ahead. It transitions seamlessly into “The Bringers of War,” which continues the feel of the intro track, just with guitars, pounding drums, and more epic keyboards. Thirty seconds in and things calm, a narrator setting the context as a call to arms is requested for every man of fighting age. As you will soon discover, Sellsword loves their long instrumental builds, and this one features fabulous instrumentation with both guitars and keys noodling along with blazing drums, all connected in a cloud of lush symphonics. The vocals finally appear 100 seconds in atop a mid-pace tempo, guitars and keys lighting up your ears with moving parts weaved into the power riffing. The chorus enters a gallop, so catchy and anthemic, keyboards trumpeting amidst the riffs. Another verse and chorus gets you to the two thirds mark, and then things get a bit heavier as the orchestration amps up, leading to a killer extended guitar solo that makes way for power riffing over blastbeats that are just perfectly placed. The ending is even more anthemic, setting the stage for what is to come. 

“Saxon Steel” is easily a favorite song on the album and probably one of my favorite power metal songs this year. Going back to the eyebrow raising claim I made in the intro, this song feels to me what Majestica might sound like if they borrowed some of the folksy orchestration from Equilibrium. It has a massive cinematic feel, soaring vocals, big guitars and drums, and epic folksy orchestration atypical for this brand of symphonic power metal and yet works super well. The verses gallop but feature a lot of variety, never feeling too straightforward while still being easy to sing with, and the chorus is super catchy. The middle instrumental section marries great orchestration with some serious guitar shredding and blazing drums, and the second half of this section feels like it absolutely belongs on an Equilibrium album. The ending amps things up, reprising the chorus while delivering Tommy Johansson esque range. What a song!

“Warwolf” transports you to the ocean, the sounds of birds and a creaking deck enveloping as a slow thrashy power riff takes over. The song takes its time to build, maintaining a slower pace as more restrained vocals are supported by pervasive atmosphere and a start and stop syncopated rhythmic approach. A brief instrumental bridge before the chorus layers a bit more to the rhythms, then subsides for the chorus as the vocals go front and center, alternating back and forth as Sellsword does consistently and so well throughout this album. The song continues to demonstrate patience, but the ambient sounds are more prominent, with the instruments beginning to project more urgency. A second chorus leads to a short but fun guitar solo, yields completely to symphonics and vocals, and then builds more deliberately with aggressive drumming as it marches to the finish. I won’t touch on the storytelling elements everywhere, but this song is a great example of grandiose storytelling, with the regular taunt of “Witness my power…you’re in the jaws of the Warwolf tonight!”

“Mighty Mercenaries” brings in some of the Orden Ogan feel, and perhaps a bit of “Warfront” era Windrose, with its cinematic battle opening and folksy feel at times, balanced with a more straightforward power metal attack. The chorus is so catchy and fun, a celebration and maybe the closest you would get to a LinkedIn profile in the Middle Ages, with the main character advertising: “We are the ones who bring you the bloodshed, but killing we don’t do for free, We Are the mighty mercenaries!”. Add in the Orden Ogan esque “hey hey” gang vocals, and this song is just a blast to listen and sing along to. It is one of the few songs not to feature crazy guitar solos, but the lead work is plentiful, as are the complementary symphonics, and you get some nice big vocals too.

“Reignite the Flame” starts with a beautiful classical piano melody that I literally cannot get out of my head, then brings in guitars with a great lead of their own that you will soon discover to be the melody of the chorus. The song starts with a slower pace that still feels powerful, picks the pace up for second half of the verse, and then delivers that big chorus, orchestration swirling around. The piano intro acts as a bridge to the second verse, which follows a similar pattern enroute to the chorus again. The middle instrumental section gives the bass a chance to shine as it is soaked in atmosphere, before the guitars take over, majestic sounding as they duel and bring forth beautiful harmonies. A brief vocal bridge returns control to the guitars as they unleash with more shredding, leading to an extended finale featuring the chorus that sees a key change halfway through, something that always makes me smile. The song ends how it began, that gorgeous piano melody taking the reins enroute to the end.

“Boadicea, Rise!” is another favorite, a power metal romp that bursts out of the gate and really never takes a break. The guitars alternate between power riffing and driving melodic leads, with the keys keeping pace and adding lots of additional texture. The chorus has another anthemic melody that will camp in your brain, making you want to raise your sword and conquer everything that stands in your way. The middle section features Boadicea issuing a battle edict, ending with, “In this battle, you must conquer or die!” Then the riffs get chuggy, the drums powerful, and the symphonics bombastic, before transitioning into a killer extended guitar solo with great melodies and harmonies. The ending is big and grandiose, subtle orchestration transitioning quickly into the chorus, with massive vocals and driving guitar leads.

“New Gods” does a great job blending power metal with symphonic elements, the keys as crucial as the guitar riffs. The opening features keys in a bit more of an atmospheric lean, different than the amazing intro from “Reignite the Flame” but still working so well. The guitar riffs and melodies complement the moving keys, creating a powerful soundscape that is epically cinematic. The chorus is super catchy, with some nice vocal technique from Harrison complemented by the symphonic interjections. Sellsword does like their long instrumental sections, and the middle of this song is no exception, with a symphonic atmosphere that takes its time building until the guitars truly let loose, shredtastic melodies and harmonies serenading your ears as the orchestration envelopes you. The reprise of the keys intro leads to an impassioned ending minute that is grandiose and on the verge of bombastic. 

“Hall of the Heroes” is a lot of fun, one of the speedier songs on the album with killer vocal melodies and plenty of moving leads from both the guitars and keys. The extended instrumental section is especially notable on this song, clocking in right around 100 seconds and featuring myriad sections that interweave faster with more mid-paced parts, showcasing guitars, keys, and even drums with a variety of rhythms and melodies. I almost feel like the extra epicness of this section is intended to set us up for the epic finale, which is at a whole new level. 

And that whole new level of extra epicness? See none other than closer “The Age of Night,” which eschews the 5 – 6 minutes average song length, clocking a whopping 14+ minutes. The opening notes tell you this is going to be an adventure, from the resounding castle-like keys, to the speedy gallop, to the cinematic orchestration, nearly 90 seconds before Harrison enters the arena with his massive vocals. My ears tell me the song is split into 4 stanzas (though not sure if the band intended it this way or not), featuring characters in the story including the warrior, the common people, an advisor, and the evil beast, along with a narrator at key moments, to spin a massive tale that is incredibly deep. This first stanza alternates slower and faster paced passages, allowing the bass to drive while the guitars and keys flourish in the slower moments, and all instruments racing without getting stuck in a rut during the faster sections. The solo around 4 minutes in begins the second stanza, starting with a nice neoclassical feel, and after 30 seconds gets chunky while the orchestration hits hard, bringing to mind Kamelot in its thicker symphonic moments. Your ears are again treated to some back and forth, except this time it is thick symphonic driven vocal sections dueling with killer guitar work. The interspersed narration pushes the story along, making it feel that much more epic, Just after 8 minutes is what I consider the third stanza, a reprise of the gothic castle keyboards and a massive slowdown in tempo while the atmosphere amps up, signifying the warrior making his move against the evil beast. The tempo doesn’t stay restrained for long, blazing ahead at a ferocious gallop around the 9 minutes mark, with some interspersed blasts to add to the urgency. The vocals come in, giving your headbanging and foot tapping a minor reprieve, though this doesn’t last long either, a soaring ending vocal yielding to more fret wizardry as the drums reinitiate their galloping. The verses that follow the long guitar solo begin what I consider the final passage of the song, maintaining the urgency as all the instruments continue to blaze forward, finally slowing around the 12 minutes mark. There seems to be reflection about what was done, leading to an absolutely epic cinematic ending. What an incredible song and way to end an amazing album!

This album from Sellsword is easily one of the best power metal albums I have heard this year, right up there with Power Paladin’s “Beyond the Reach of Enchantment” despite being quite different in so many ways. This is an album that I found amazing on first listen, and yet it continues to grow on me with successive listens. It can be enjoyed casually with its catchy melodies and killer guitar work, but the listener is rewarded with additional focused listening that unlocks so much that this album has to offer. This album comes highly recommended, and I need to find a way to experience this live!