It has been eight years since REFLECTION released their last album, Bleed Babylon Bleed, but now the Greek champions of epic heavy metal have returned! The silence is shattered by the sound of thunder as The Battles I Have Won comes galloping out of the darkness. True legends of the Greek heavy metal scene, Reflection have been active for more than three decades and unveiled their debut album, The Fire Still Burns back in 1999. The band still feature founding member, guitarist Stathis Pavlantis and his brother George Pavlantis who hammered the drums of doom on The Fire Still Burns and has been the rhythm master for Reflection ever since. With their comrades in blood and battle, long standing bassist John Litinakis and magnificent new vocalist Kostas Tokas (who made a guest appearance on the track ‘Stormbringer’ from Bleed Babylon Bleed), the Pavlantis brothers have delivered what will surely come to be regarded as Reflection’s finest album to date.
A first track from The Battles I Have Won was revealed at the beginning of March and ‘Lord Of The Wind’ was met with a rapturous response from fans who watched the unveiling of its accompanying lyric video. Full of drama and emotion, with breathtaking guitar work and an irresistible chorus, ‘Lord Of The Wind’ is the epitome of heroic heavy metal – and yet it is just a glimpse of all that The Battles I Have Won has to offer. From the searing energy of exhilarating opener, ‘Only The Swords Survive’ through to the Homeric majesty and narrative mastery of the concluding ‘City Walls Of Malta – The Great Siege’, The Battles I Have Won scales so many towering peaks. The pride and passion of the album’s stunning title track, the dark, beguiling melodies of ‘Sirens’ Song’, the inspiring, heart-lifting adventure of ‘March Of The Argonauts’…every song is a highlight in its own right and The Battles I Have Won is a paradise for those whose hearts still burn with the flame of heavy metal.
Every aspect of The Battles I Have Won has been carefully curated to form part of the band’s overall vision for this, their magnum opus. The orchestration work by Kostas Rekleitis has brought additional depth and atmosphere to each tale as it unfolds, the spectacular cover artwork created by Alexandros Vasilopoulos (Battleroar etc) draws the listener into Reflection’s world of myth, legend and history, while the sound captured by the band’s own Stathis Pavlantis at Dark Water Audio (Marauder, Achelous, Power Crue, Darklon etc) is warm and richly textured, vibrant, vital and alive! Selected members of the Greek media were treated to a pre-release listen to the album on April 13th and soon the world will know why they were so excited by what they heard!
On June 20th Reflection will return to the field of conflict with The Battles I Have Won. Pitch Black Records will release the album on CD and digital formats, while Vinylstore.gr will present a vinyl edition – with special vinyl mastering, under exclusive license from Pitch Black Records.
Track-list:
01 – Only the Swords Survive
02 – The Battles I Have Won
03 – Lord of the Wind
04 – Sirens’ Song
05 – Once Again (Crime in the Valley of Death)
06 – Celestial War
07 – March of the Argonauts
08 – Lady in the Water
09 – City Walls of Malta – The Great Siege
Presale links:
Pitch Black Records Website – Bandcamp | Vinylstore.gr
Line-up:
Kostas Tokas – Vocals
Stathis Pavlantis – Guitars
John Litinakis – Bass
Giorgos Pavlantis – Drums
*additional orchestration by Kostas Rekleitis
