The Emperor’s Hounds by Eonian is the definition of symphonic metal. It is vast, it is sweeping, it has gloriously majestic guitar solos, and it sounds like it should be part of the most grandiose concept album you have ever heard and would probably take place right before the epic final battle.

The Emperor’s Hounds also shows that Eonian drink from the well of all the metal, seamlessly blending death metal, black metal, heavy metal, and power metal into an epic swell of sound that not only fills the room, but feels as if it picks you up and raises you towards the heavens, and it leaves me thinking that if there’s a genre of metal that you can think of, I have a sneaking suspicion that Eonian could turn their hand to it without even breaking a sweat.

It is quite spectacular, full of pomp and circumstance, with driving rhythms that threaten to breach any castles walls, under pinning some of the most outrageous guitar riffs and noodling I have heard since Vai or Satriani in their heydays, while the vocals could strip the flesh from a rampaging horde from about a thousand yards, with death metal growls, black metal howls, and heavy metal choirs of angelic proportions weaving the tale of foolish adventurers trespassing where they don’t belong.

As introductions go, The Emperor’s Hounds is the perfect way to say hello to Eonian and to then directly ask them when’s the bloody album coming out, because I promise you, just six minutes alone with The Emperor’s Hounds will leave you rabid for more.

You can buy The Emperor’s Hounds over on Eonian’s Bandcamp Page.