Valor – Arrogance: The Fall

Greek power metal band Valor released their third record, “Arrogance: The Fall”, in mid-2017. Despite being several albums deep into their career, it doesn’t seem as though Valor has truly broken through yet. One listen to this album makes it clear that the lack of commercial success isn’t for musical reasons. “Arrogance: The Fall” is exactly what you’d expect from a modern power metal record. It blends heavy symphonics with a significant dosage of guitar playing, not letting one element overpower the other. This is most evident on the stellar instrumental intro that acts as a prelude to “Arrogant Fall”.

The title track kicks off the record in a strong way as it introduces the band’s unique vocalist. He doesn’t do anything outside the realms of what you’d expect for a power metal singer, as he primarily stays in an upper range that occasionally soars even higher. He does, however, have a very unique voice and can’t be characterized as a Kiske clone. On “Arrogant Fall” in particular, he has a bouncy delivery that complements the energetic riffs. This really sums up the album as a whole: it feels vigorous, as though the band just wanted to keep charging ahead. Ironically, they accomplish this not by playing at inhuman speeds, but rather by simply having a more upbeat tempo on most songs. 

Valor avoids common power metal pitfalls on this record with ease. For one thing, it barely cracks 40 minutes, making it about a third shorter than most other albums in the style. This means that even though much of the album is similar in style, it really doesn’t get tiring. If one really wanted to criticize Valor, it would be fair to say that some songs, catchy as they are, tend to have somewhat repetitive choruses (both “Dark Are The Eyes of the Night” and “In Another Time” come to mind). Additionally, the band’s guitar playing is certainly serviceable, but would benefit from being more over-the-top. These are nitpicks however. Ultimately, “Arrogance: The Fall” is a worthy power metal record that did not receive the credit it deserved amongst the power metal community.

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Highlights

"Arrogant Fall"

"In The Name of Valor"

"In Another Time"

Final Rating

4.2/5 or 84%.