First spells for Firemage.
Following their debut in 2019, the Portuguese band comprising Tiago Costa (guitar/vocals, Eoten, Xeque-Mate), Ricardo Santos (keyboards/vocals, Eoten), Ana Ferreira (bass/vocals), Emanuel Moreira (drums), Ricardo Pereira (guitar/vocals) and Vânia Ferreira (flutes) unveil Ignis, their first EP.
Starting with the festive ambience of Welcome To The Grove, joined by effective riffs and catchy vocals, as well as some backing vocals, the band progresses at a steady pace through the composition. Flutes provide the light, airy touches, contrasted by the occasional growl, then Dance With The Fire offers a much more aggressive and energetic approach, both in terms of vocals – as evidenced by the long scream in the intro – and instrumentals. An almost religious passage creates a moment’s hesitation, but the band regains its cruising speed before slowing down to the gentle The Last March, which soothes the atmosphere for a moment, only to be crushed by martial riffs. The track straddles the line between its raw and more ethereal elements right up to the end, then Turn Of The Wheel offers us a moment in the company of Folk instruments that eventually transforms into a power ballad with moments that are heavier than others, but where the bewitching solo finds its perfect place before the EP’s final moments.
Although rather short, Ignis gives us a good insight into Firemage‘s universe. While the band fully embraces its folk roots, the discerning listener will immediately recognize the great names that inspired the sextuor!
75/100