It’s time for a new review of one of Two Steps’ most popular albums. No, it’s not Battlecry, but rather the industry equivalent: Nero.
Now some of you may ask why I’m reviewing Nero as opposed to Archangel. After all, Archangel is essentially a “Best of Nero”. In my opinion, though Nero is the clear winner - Archangel misses some of the best tracks from both, especially Nick, and is a more forgettable public album to me. Nero as a whole is also much more exciting – it has 39 tracks and holds up as one of their best works even today with the release of Dragon. So onward I go into battle, to defeat the Roman Emperor Nero - come join me, won’t you?
United We Stand – Divided We Fall (feat. Merethe Soltvedt (Solo Vocalist)) by Thomas Bergersen
This track had the most views on the official channel for some time and, honestly, it’s not hard to see why. The Unbreakable before Unbreakable, this song is the epitome of what makes Two Steps from Hell so great – we have an awesome epic orchestra, shouting choir and soaring vocals by Merethe. A battle is essentially happening in your ears and you feel your adrenaline pump in time with the drums. Sure, this piece isn’t Thomas at his most varied, but it may be him at his most epic! 10/10
Everlasting (feat. Aya Peard (Solo Vocalist)) by Nick Phoenix
Nick’s first track on Nero follows Thomas’ very well. Aya begins the song with some stirring vocals and then we get a bridge to the best part of the song with the trumpets and drums rising and plummeting in a very procession-like melody. Nick, as always, does this sort of thing very well and it’s a bright spot on an already awesome album. The only thing that takes away from this track is the very abrupt ending, which doesn’t mesh well at all with the piece. Take that away and you have a great track - 9/10. An honorable mention goes out to the Irish Low Whistle version.
Archangel by Thomas Bergersen
The track that was deemed worthy enough to have an entire album named after it. Listening to Archangel now is particularly nostalgic, because it has that same classic epic vibe that United We Stand had. The instruments are all working really well together, building up to the vocal that comes in and the even more chaotic orchestra that supports it. There’s hope and bravery in every inch of this and another piece of art by Thomas. 10/10
Destructo (feat. Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
Probably the first OK track on this album. This track starts off with a metal-like intro which is heightened by the choir. By the time things begin to change, a minute has already passed and we get a menacing piano and horn interlude before basically leaping into a reprise of the beginning. Not much variation from Nick here, but it’s not all bad – the abovementioned interlude and ending balance out the more boring bits. 6/10
Strength of a Thousand Men (feat. Merethe Soltvedt (Solo Vocalist)) by Thomas Bergersen
After a grittier track from Nick, Thomas returns with a more uplifting song. The beginning is very grand and benefits from an amazing choir and strings that makes the song sound like it’s straining for something. Then we get the chase sequence which is pure awesomeness and just when you think it can’t get any better, in comes Merethe. After her incredible solo, we return to the beginning in all its epic glory. It seems that the epic theme has not yet worn thin for Thomas. 10/10
Am I Not Human? (feat. Nick Phoenix (Vocals)) by Nick Phoenix
The Future Guardian before Future Guardian. This piece is more hybrid-filled than its predecessors, which serves the title well. An ominous beginning leads to an exciting video-game like theme, filled with desperation and terror. Nick’s vocal entrance accentuate the piece that much more and we continue in this way to the end, which dies out only to return menacingly with the drums. The piece may not be very varied, but the feel of it is amazing and a must-listen. 10/10
Magic of Love (feat. Chris Bleth (Irish Flute)) by Thomas Bergersen
Thomas makes a transition from his epic war theme to pure uplifting. Similar to Everlasting, this piece is procession-like and filled with fantasy. The Irish Flute is a nice touch to the song and you feel like you have just returned home from battle and been greeted by an epic welcoming committee. Though perhaps not as exciting as the rest, it’s still a great piece. 8/10
The Last Stand by Nick Phoenix
This track shares some of the problems with Destructo in that overall it’s decent, but it doesn’t go above and beyond like some of Nick’s other tracks. We have some ominous hybrid again and a menacing choir lead to some drums and the melody is kept up for a bit more than half of the track. Then we have a bridge that gears us up for a slightly more chaotic reprise. This part of the track is markedly better than the beginning, but it’s a little too late and isn’t given room to breathe, so to speak. 5/10
Nero by Thomas Bergersen
The titular track! The driving force of this piece is the piano, which plays a very beautiful melody, and guides us through the track’s more epic, soaring part in the middle. I feel like that part could be much longer, but Thomas decides to bring us back to earth with the piano at the end. In spite of this, it does well for itself in the three-and-a-half minutes it lasts and I wonder what Thomas could do with it if he revisited and expanded it. 8/10
Unexplained Forces (feat. Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
I could probably put the same things I said for The Last Stand and Destructo here, as I have very similar thoughts about this track. The strings are kind of interesting, reminiscent of Final Kingdom, as is the ending with the horn, but it basically doesn’t go much beyond “decent” – it could be built better, have some more variation, but it fails on both those counts. Very little sets it apart from those other tracks, so it unfortunately gets a 6/10.
Salvation by Thomas Bergersen
The war theme returns in full swing for Thomas. We begin with an ominous melody that slowly builds and builds until it gets almost menacing – I especially love the horns here. There is notably no choir featured in this piece, so perhaps it misses a bit of the oomph of his other epic tracks, but the brief pause near the end almost makes up for it. It also doesn’t necessarily go anywhere, but I’m an emotions kind of guy and this piece paints a vivid landscape. 8/10
Mountains from Water (feat. Chris Bleth (Woodwinds) & Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
This piece would almost be the same as Nick’s previous average pieces – indeed, the same elements make it up: guitars, choir, drums, etc. However, this piece actually feels like it’s leading somewhere, with the instruments straining upward to reach something (the title influences me a little here). This drives the piece more than its predecessors, which leads to me giving it a 7/10. I probably would relisten to this, but Nick can do (and does do) so much better on this album.
Five Finger Fillet by Thomas Bergersen
The first track not previously released to the public! As I once said in a YouTube comment: “this feels like the most epic Italian Restaurant ever,” and this rings true listening to it now. I get a bit of a Disney/Pixar vibe from this track and overall it’s really nice – we get more varied orchestration as the piece goes on, but it doesn’t really do much with the theme other than that which makes it lose a point or two. Another track that could perhaps be interesting upon a revisit from Thomas. 7/10
Disappear by Thomas Bergersen Alex Pfeffer
One of four pieces written by Alex for this album. We veer into emotive territory here, with some great strings and electric guitar. The use of bells(?) also makes the piece feel a little fantastical and magical. With an already great beginning comes an even better choir in the last third. This piece may suffer a little on the variation front, but the overall feel is pretty awesome – don’t doubt Alex’s abilities to keep up with the others. 8/10
Caradhras (feat. Chris Bleth (Woodwinds) & Aya Peard (Solo Vocalist)) by Nick Phoenix
It’s Nick’s turn to veer into emotional territory. We get a very beautiful beginning with Chris’ woodwinds, piano and Aya’s vocals, which slowly gets grander with the choir and cymbals in the beginning of the second half. Thus far, the piece has been building very steadily but then it appears that Nick didn’t quite know how to end this track, because he suddenly gears it up at 3:00 for a more traditional epic ending. This isn’t as bad as Everlasting and still goes well with the piece, but it could’ve been orchestrated better. 9/10
To Glory by Thomas Bergersen
If you ever want to get pumped up for an exam or something, this is your song. I’ve listened to this one countless times and still get goosebumps from it. We begin with some electric guitars, followed by some horns and strings…and before you know it, you’re in a full-blown heroic song. The melody is awesome and the instruments and choir all work together to create a truly satisfying build. Even if, as before, it may not be as varied as Thomas’ later orchestrations, it still stands as exemplary. 10/10
Destiny Will Wait (feat. Aya Peard (Vocals)) by Nick Phoenix
When I mentioned hidden gems from Nick at the start of this review, this is one of them. We have a really Disney-like opening with ethereal vocals from Aya and a flute (likely Chris Bleth again). It may go a little long, but it’s such a great opening you don’t even notice and it makes that part that begins at the two-minute mark where the song kicks into gear with Aya that much more satisfying. Then, Aya stops singing and we get an amazing ending with the drums and other instruments – everything about this piece is pure awesomeness. 10/10
Casablanca by Thomas Bergersen
The precursor of sorts to Sun & Moon, this song is sung in poetic gibberish by two soloists, a man and a woman. The track has a very Arabic feel, which suits its title well and it makes for a really cool war/romantic song, depending on the perspective you have on it. This piece varies its orchestra but not the singing, which is repeated twice more before the end, which is its weakest point. Overall, though, a solid song. 8/10
Aesir (feat. Chris Bleth (Woodwinds) & Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
It actually took me a while to warm up to this piece, but it’s much better than Nick’s other orchestral war tracks on Nero. Every second is action-packed and it never gets boring to listen to. We start with some strings and woodwinds to set off the Arabic/Gypsy vibe. Drums and choir join in later and are utilized by Nick to create some epic-ness both in the middle and last third (the latter comes after another noteworthy use of horns). After four hits and misses, Nick has finally succeeded! 10/10
Starfall by Thomas Bergersen
Thomas has one more entry into the Arabic part of this album with Starfall. We are greeted with a Celesta that makes us think of the titular stars. The beautiful beginning yields way to the rest of the epic song, as signaled by the vocals. Thomas keeps building us to the epic middle part with a mixture of choir (Liam Neeson, buy me pizza) and vocals and it finally pays off at the two-minute mark. After a brief break with the vocals, we return with the horns now in full swing. Thomas once again paints a vivid scene with his composition and this piece deserves a 10/10.
Immortal Avenger (feat. Chris Bleth (Woodwinds) & Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
RIP Aya’s vocals on the public release. This song isn’t an Aesir, but it’s not as bad as the pieces before either. We have a pretty cool opener and then some fun strings and horns amongst the more traditional sections with drums and choir. It is because of the former that the track feels a bit more lighthearted than his previous war submissions, but it’s able to integrate them well enough that the track doesn’t lose its epic-ness. A special mention goes to the ending with the drums. 8/10
Undefeated by Thomas Bergersen
A very choir-driven piece by Thomas that calls to mind an army gearing up for a battle and, though it isn’t very long or varied, it’s still a pretty good song that suits its title very well. All the instruments are used very well here (as always) and I’m more partial to this one than Thomas’ later submission Ride to Victory because it doesn’t feel as simple to me. 8/10
Sanctuary is Lost (feat. Doug Rappoportb (Guitars)) by Nick Phoenix
Another war-themed track – will Nick finally fall flat? Actually, upon this relisten, I find that this piece is a little better than I remembered it. The beginning with the guitar is pretty cool, if maybe slightly out of place, but then it becomes part of the driving force and we are thrust headlong into the choir in the last third. The ending itself, where everything seems to fade into chaos is decent as well. I waver on what exact score to give it, but a 7/10 will suffice for now, with the earmark that I would listen to it again.
Birth of a Hero by Thomas Bergersen
Wouldn’t you know it, this piece is heroic! We have some cool strings in the beginning, later accentuated by horns and the piece begins to ooze bravery. The choir is the cherry on top and we end up with a great composition that fills up every inch of its short duration. I have to bump this up a little too, because it’s from my first-ever TSFH album, Classics, Vol. 1, so it gets a 10/10.
One Way Out (feat. Aya Peard (Vocals)) by Nick Phoenix
The song TSFH doesn’t want you to know about. I’m still bitter that this wasn’t released on Nero Anthology and let me tell you why. We have an awesome beginning with Aya and piano, setting up the desolateness of the piece very well. Then, the grittiness of the guitars comes in, followed quickly by drums and the best part of the song – the horns at 1:05. This part gives me goosebumps every time because of how awesome it is – even if the orchestra isn’t very grand and though it’s missing a choir, the feel of the piece is amazing all the way to the ominous end. I have to give it a 9/10.
Area 51 by Nick Phoenix
Well, Nick’s gone off the deep end after that masterpiece. This piece is a callback to his rock days, as the electric guitar takes center stage again. The piece is pretty decent, but it doesn’t necessarily offer much despite the guitar and it feels a little out of place on this album, as if Nick decided that he would take a break from the orchestral part just so he could rock out for a second. You have to be in a certain mood for this song, basically, but I will say that the part near 2:00 is the most noteworthy part. I guess you have to give Nick props for trying something different. 6/10, would listen again when feeling angsty.
Ride to Victory by Thomas Bergersen
It’s hard not to compare this one to Birth of Hero since it comes three tracks later. Like its predecessor, it’s a heroic one and features a great choir and horns. It’s a bit on the weaker side for me because it doesn’t have the same epic build and feels a bit simple but that’s definitely a bias thing – not a bad piece, I would relisten to it but it’s not something I would actively seek out from Nero when Birth of a Hero does the heroic theme better. 7/10
It Lives by Thomas Bergersen
We go from victorious to horrific in less than two seconds – the trumpets blast menacingly and the choir drips with evil. This piece sets up the vibe very well, so it makes sense that it found its way onto Halloween, but it doesn’t have a whole lot going on which isn’t helped by its very short length (indeed, it’s the shortest one on the album). I once again find myself wavering what exactly to give this piece, but a 7/10 seems fair.
King Louie Kablooey by Nick Phoenix
Nick takes a stab at the pirate theme with this Pirates of the Caribbean-themed track. I love this track, because it’s just so much fun - we have some great horns and a vivid swordfight at the one-minute mark, after which the piece just gets crazier and more chaotic, but in a way that fits the theme. The choir at 2:03 cements this piece as another underrated masterpiece from Nick. 9/10
Fatal Fury by Nick Phoenix Alex Pfeffer
Hey, Nick – this is how you integrate rock into a track without it being a random outlier! Pfeffer kills this hybrid piece with great choir and guitars. The beginning gears us up for the menacing nature of this piece and then it becomes pretty heroic and badass with the horns, though the best part is objectively the guitar solo at 1:30 with the rest of the piece coming very naturally. Great head-banging material. 8/10
The Devil Plays a Smoking Trumpet by Thomas Bergersen
Is it weird that I get Dragon vibes from this piece? Anyway, it’s another great one. The sinister opening leads into some cool drums and then, finally, the titular trumpet which plays a pretty addictive melody. The choir at 1:14 and the whole sequence up to 2:10 with the drums that follow and Mexico-ish vibes is arguably the cornerstone of the whole piece and then we return to the beginning at the end. The piece is a little messy but it’s great fun. 8/10
Tower of Mischief by Thomas Bergersen
A very classically minded piece from Thomas. It’s not epic in the modern sense, but still a great piece that shifts a lot – we begin with a Disney-like opening and when the choir comes in it becomes more exciting and tense, setting up the track’s continual alteration between light and dark. The strings(?) at 2:10 are particularly noteworthy and you can tell Thomas had a lot of fun with this piece, as he really makes the most of its nearly five-minute length. The ominous bit before the end rounds it out quite nicely. 8/10
Crack in Time by Alex Pfeffer
Alex Pfeffer has another rock-hybrid track in store for us, though it pales slightly in comparison to its predecessors. The opening is cool and probably the best part, but then the piece unfolds fairly simply and the build/climax doesn’t feel quite as grand as the other ones (though the choir is well-done). Maybe if this were Alex’s only piece here I would rate it higher, but it doesn’t feel as well-rounded as the rest - 7/10.
Oz No More by Nick Phoenix
Nick’s longest piece to date! I can already anticipate some of the winces of people hearing that Nick wrote an almost ten-minute track, but it’s actually really cool! The piece oozes nostalgia from its cinematic source of inspiration and even though the piece doesn’t necessarily get as epic as, say, Enchantress, it is still a good piece in its own right. Nick utilizes the strings and horns very well here, with some noteworthy moments being 3:49, 5:09 and 8:23. Give this piece a chance, spend some time with it and you’ll understand why I give it an 8/10.
Fear the Resurrection (Indie Version, feat. Aya Peard (Vocals)) by Nick Phoenix
Unlike with the rest, I choose to review the alternate (and superior) version of this track that features Aya. Aya brings an eeriness to the track that elevates it above the sleezy-bar vibe it gives off normally. This piece is like One Way Out with the gritty, hopeless way it unfolds. Though the orchestration is a bit simplistic (Nick doesn’t use very many instruments), it once again manages to nail down the abovementioned vibe very well and Aya’s vocals help drive the piece forward. At 2:08, the piece escalates into chaos once again and it never fails to give me goosebumps – I especially appreciate the descending drone around 2:40. A well done piece: 9/10. The original may have gotten one or two points lower.
My Freedom (feat. Thomas Bergersen (Violin) & Merethe Soltvedt (Vocals)) by Thomas Bergersen
Merethe returns for this epic piece that mixes both epic orchestral and elements of pop. It has a great fantasy-like beginning with strings, piano and choir that leads us to Merethe’s ambient vocals. An electric guitar gives way to Merethe’s lyrics(!) which are awesome as always. The piece continues in this way, with the pop elements becoming more prominent, until the end where we have a cool violin solo that enhances the epic finale. So why isn’t this piece a 10? I find that the latter half feels kind of empty as compared to the first, in spite of the vocals. I would’ve liked the orchestral elements to be played with some more. But, because of the beginning and Merethe, it gets a 9/10.
Lotus Mother by Nick Phoenix
Not going to lie, I couldn’t listen to this piece the whole way through when I first found it several years ago. Once you give it a chance, it’s OK, but the electric guitar is kind of intoxicating and the piece doesn’t really change very much. I want to like it, especially because of the vocals at the halfway point, but it once again feels out of place and like a missed chance for Nick to pull a Pfeffer and make a really cool epic-rock track. Regardless of it’s better or worse than Area 51, I don’t think both should get a 6, so I rate it 5/10. Would be better for a solo rock album.
Exodus by Alex Pfeffer
Alex’s best piece on the album. Perhaps it suffers the same flaws as his other pieces in that it’s repetitive and doesn’t really expand on its main theme, but the build is orchestrated very well. We begin with a menacing rock-like intro which is joined by a piano at 0:35 (if I were to give an award for best instrument in this track, the piano would get it). Things get more badass at 1:13 and finally, after baiting us for so long, the choir joins at 1:47. As the piece endures, things get more heated until we finally reach the end. 9/10, good job, Alex!
Allegro Agitato by Thomas Bergersen
Like Tower of Mischief, this piece is very classically minded. It has its moments of Hollywood soaring and epic choir (2:12 and 4:00) and once again feels like an overall fun piece, though it doesn’t grab me as much (probably because it comes after Tower of Mischief). I will say, however, that the piano at the end and the flurry at the beginning are both pretty cool and it’s not bad, just perhaps badly placed on the album and not as good as Thomas’ later classically-minded compositions like High C’s. Perhaps 7/10 is the best rank for it.
Conclusion:
Nero is a cool album, full of twists and turns. Just when you think you’re in for an epic album, Thomas and Nick slowly turn it into a heroic and moving album (Magic of Love and Caradhras for both composers). Then, things get more middle-eastern with Casablanca, Aesir and Starfall before finally getting into the more mixed-bag part of the album with random rock tracks from Nick mixed with heroic and classical stuff from Thomas, epic hybrid from Alex and more simple stuff from Nick himself. Aya and Merethe do their part as well to make the album memorable and the result is a solid album that bears up even today. Ultimately, in spite of some of the more questionable compositions from Nick, Nero never has a dull moment and it’s definitely worth listening to all the way through.
Best Tracks (9+): United We Stand – Divided We Fall, Everlasting, Archangel, Strength of a Thousand Men, Am I Not Human?, Caradhras, To Glory, Destiny Will Wait, Aesir, Starfall, Birth of a Hero, One Way Out, King Louie Kablooey, Fear the Resurrection (Indie Version), My Freedom, Exodus
Averages:
Thomas Bergersen: 8.50/10
Alex Pfeffer: 8/10
Nick Phoenix: 7.82/10
Overall: 8.15/10
Submitted March 19, 2019 at 01:10AM by linusblanket2100 https://ift.tt/2TQxp4l
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