Echoes of Bronze

Ilium

2023 – Self release

Overture (Cassandra’s Dream)

At The Shores Of Ilium

3000 Days Of Siege

The Trial Of Paris instrumental

Rage of Diomedes

Of Lions And Men I

Of Lions And Men II

When Heroes Fall

The Fall Of Troy

In early March Echoes Of Bronze had released their debut album, which is a metal opera inspired by the Iliad, one of the two ultimate ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It’s a two-man project, formed by the talented artist from Mexico Carlos Mondrag?n, who wrote both libretto and music and distinguished Greek artist and producer Dionisis Christodoulatos, who performed the parts of Odysseus/Nestor/Diomedes and played and recorded most of the instruments heard on the album. Many talented vocalists were also called to take part at the project; Chandler Mogel (Theater Of Absurd/Outloud) as Achilles/Patroclos/Neoptolemos, Michael Gildner (Outerburst) as Agamemnon/Hector/Sinon, Revekka Georgiadi (Reap The Light) as goddess Athena, Angelina DelCarmen as Andromachi/Kassandra and C?sar Moreira (Cult Burial, Enblood) as Diomedes extreme vocals. The album was produced at the CFN Recordings Studios in Athens Greece, and it comprises of nine tracks with a total run time of 53:49. Artwork was handled by Carlos Mondrag?n himself.

 The beginning of the tragedy comes with the “Overture” (Cassandra’s Dream). The opening song of the album, where melancholic melodies of guitar/keyboards and piano leave a bittersweet feeling in the audience.

The Greeks reach the shores of Troy and a fierce battle begins “At the shores of Ilium”. Sounds become images, a fast-paced track with hard, sharp riffs, followed by a chorus which builds up the tension and the frantic solos that make the listener mentally travel to the battlefield.

The city holds, the prolonged war has taken its toll, discord starts to arise at the camp of the Achaeans and Achilles, after a furious word fight with Agamemnon, decides to stand down in the “3000 Days of Siege”. A mid tempo song, where vocals prevail. At the chorus, the combination of the melodic tunes of the lead guitar and the voice of goddess Athina (Revekka Georgiadi), give emphasis to the desperate situation that they are in.

The second instrumental song of the album is “The Trial Of Paris”. Realizing the consequences of his choice, Paris, choosing love over wisdom and power. A tragic song with the tunes of keyboards and piano. It’s calm before the storm.

A Trojan counterattack causes the Achaeans to retreat. Diomedes, son of Tydeus, enraged, enters battle and turns the tide in favor of the Achaeans in the “Rage of Diomedes”. A fast-paced song with influences from Amon Amarth. The combination of C?sar Moreira’s extreme vocals impersonating Diomedes, the technical parts on the drums and the choruses, put the audience into the field of battle.

The tragic death of Patroclus is narrated in “Of Lions and Men I”. A song where keyboards and the chorus have the leading role. Time pauses when Patroclus falls by the spear of Hector. A breath-taking moment created by the combination of piano, chorus, and the cries of Achilles. It’s one of the most emotional moments ever heard in a metal opera.

In the second part, “Of Lions and Men II”, we bare witness of the duel between Achilles (Chandler Mogel) and Hector (Michael Gildner). A song influenced by power/glam metal bands of the 80’s and 90’s and keyboard parts of the 70’s. The solo played by the keyboards and the melodies that play along with the guitar riffs, are distinctive regarding the fury of the fight. The song wraps up tragically in the same way as the first part opens.

“When Heroes Fall” is an emotional acoustic ballad for the fall of the Trojan hero Hector and the vanity of this war. The acoustic guitar, the laments of Andromache (Angelina DelCarmen), the muses and Achilles (Chandler Mogel) leave a bittersweet feeling to the audience.

“The Fall of Troy” is a fifteen-minute-long song that closes the album. It’s an epic track with many rhythms variations. Starts as slow ballad, moves to midtempo, to fast paced, to slow once again. All vocalists appear in the choruses and play their individual parts. Drums and keyboards have the leading role, and we can hear verses of the opening song, closing the journey the same way it began.   

“Ilium” is one of the best metal operas I’ve heard in years. The music generates vivid images which awake emotions from an age of heroes and epic battles, a result of the love, admiration and respect of Carlos Mondrag?n for the epic poem attributed to Homer. The interpretation of the distinguished vocalists provides a wide range of emotions… Rage, sadness and grief. It’s an album that can be heard from beginning to the end, with ease and with every single listening, one can live a different experience. It’s an album that will become a landmark for the metal operas to come and we hope that Echoes Of Bronze will continue to entertain us with other journeys to the epic poems of Homer.

Alex Galletti