Tales from the Kingdom of Fife
| Tales from the Kingdom of Fife | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Gloryhammer | ||||
| Released | March 29, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | LSD Studios, Lübeck, Germany, 30 June-10 December 2012 | |||
| Genre | Power metal | |||
| Length | 48:08 | |||
| Label | Napalm Records | |||
| Producer | Lasse Lammert | |||
| Gloryhammer chronology | ||||
| ||||
Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is the debut album by Scottish-Swiss symphonic power metal band Gloryhammer. It was released on March 29, 2013 in Europe.[1]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| metalunderground.com | 5/5[2] |
| Blackwind Metal | 4/5[3] |
Story
In a fantasy version of 10th-century Scotland, as previously foretold (“Anstruther’s Dark Prophecy”), the evil wizard Zargothrax invades and conquers Dundee with an army of corrupted undead unicorns (“The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee”), kidnapping the princess Iona McDougall. The prince of the Kingdom of Fife, Angus McFife, swears revenge (“Angus McFife”); in a dream, he has a vision of three artifacts that will allow him to defeat Zargothrax, and sets off on a quest to acquire them.
McFife first battles north to obtain a magical war hammer (“Quest for the Hammer of Glory,”) then travels to Strathclyde to acquire a golden dragon as his steed (“Magic Dragon”). Inspired by memories of McDougall, who is imprisoned by Zargothrax in a prison of ice (“Silent Tears of Frozen Princess,”) McFife rides his dragon to Loch Rannoch and retrieves the Amulet of Justice from its depths (“Amulet of Justice”), completing his quest for the three artifacts.
Allying with the powerful Knights of Crail (“Hail to Crail”), McFife travels through Cowdenbeath (“Beneath Cowdenbeath”) to confront Zargothrax in his stronghold. As the Knights battle the wizard’s forces in the fields of Dunfermline, McFife and the Barbarian Warrior of Unst sneak into the castle through dwarven tunnels, aided by the hermit Ralathor (“The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder”). Meeting Zargothrax in single combat, McFife defeats the wizard and casts him into a pool of “liquid ice.” He then uses the Amulet of Justice to free the princess and the unicorns, restoring balance to the Kingdom of Fife.
Track listing
All music and lyrics by Gloryhammer.
| Standard Edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Anstruther's Dark Prophecy" | 1:27 |
| 2. | "The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee" | 4:26 |
| 3. | "Angus McFife" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Quest for the Hammer of Glory" | 5:38 |
| 5. | "Magic Dragon" | 5:28 |
| 6. | "Silent Tears of Frozen Princess" | 5:34 |
| 7. | "Amulet of Justice" | 4:27 |
| 8. | "Hail to Crail" | 4:43 |
| 9. | "Beneath Cowdenbeath" | 2:29 |
| 10. | "The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder" | 10:28 |
| Total length: | 48:08 | |
| Heroic Edition[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Wizards!" (bonus track) | 2:22 |
| Total length: | 50:30 | |
Personnel
- Band members
- Thomas Winkler – Vocals
- Christopher Bowes – Keyboards
- Paul Templing – Guitar
- James Cartwright – Bass
- Ben Turk – Drums
- Guest/session musicians
- Marie Lorey – Female Vocals
- Production
- Lasse Lammert - producer, engineer, mixing, mastering
- Dan Goldsworthy - artwork and layout
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[5] | 151 |
References
- ↑ "Gloryhammer - Encyclopaedia Metallum". The Metal Archives. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
- ↑ http://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=7159
- ↑ http://blackwindmetal.com/gloryhammer-tales-from-the-kingdom-of-fife/
- ↑ http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=184126
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – GloryHammer – Tales from the Kingdom of Fife" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2015.