It is actually the continuation the story started in TAOK called The Black Crystal Sword Saga, and involves a Lord of the Rings-worthy cast of characters, including a dragon, an evil sorcerer, a bunch of kings, a woman named Shena, and a pile of other people. Upon first listening to Soulless Child, there is an awful lot to digest. It’s gotten a lot of positive attention, making many Top Ten of 2011 lists and scoring another point for what is quickly becoming Italy’s next best export after pasta.
In November of 2011, their follow-up to TAOK, Soulless Child, was released in Europe. In 2011, an epic metal band called Ancient Bards, hailing from Rimini on Italy’s north east coast, released their first full-length CD, The Alliance of Kings (TAOK), which garnered them a modicum of success that brought the sextet enough attention to tour with the likes of Korpiklaani and Eluveitie. We all know about Lacuna Coil, of course, but 2011 saw debuts of other potential powerhouse bands like Dama and Crysalys burst onto the scene with impressive albums. The Black Crystal Sword saga continues.There is so much great metal coming out of Italy these days it’s not even funny. No wonder a renowned graphic artist like Felipe Machado Franco (Rhapsody, Blind Guardian etc…) wanted to create the artwork for this album. "Soulless Child" is an intoxicating mix of intense choirs, hefty guitars, and ultra catchy melodies. "Hope Dies Last" is an almost 15 minutes long masterpiece of excitement and variety - a fireworks, and at the same time a déjà vu, regarding Epic Metal. Rhapsody Of Fire, in spite of their significant influence, have lost themselves a bit in too much intricate playfulness… ANCIENT BARDS prefer to focus on racy riffs and high speed to keep their route straight: "Through My Veins" is an impressive proof of that, and Sara Squadrani's voice volume and vocal clout has remarkably increased - which she demonstrates especially on this Speed smasher which is spiced with some Prog elements. The high, clear voice of Sara Sqadrani adds an extra facet to this harmonious sound collage, her vocals being a perfect fit for the band's style. Double bass attacks and incredibly fast riffs, supported by sophisticated, opulent keyboards are the trademarks of "Broken Illusion". Mighty choirs top off the whole thing, as can be heard on "Valiant Ride". Hefty guitar barrages and classic, epic keyboard parts grant an extraordinary listening experience. All those live shows have forged the band into an entity, resulting in an intense song writing and a tighter performance. Overall, the new opus leaves an even more epic and symphonic impression than its predecessor.
"Soulless Child” once again features the heroes of the first part who now continue their trip.
"Soulless Child” is the consequent innovative advancement following their first output - and will fascinate all those who love an epic and symphonic Power Metal opus. "Soulless Child" is the long awaited second album, once again mastering the fine line between kitsch and art with grace. Their kind of symphonic / epic Metal is sophisticated and classy - you'll easily hear that ANCIENT BARDS enjoy what they do and are committed to it. Maybe the sextet's style is polarising, but still: the boys stick to their musical visions and preferences.
But the ambitious Italians were more than just soundalikes of the aforementioned outfits, and the extremely positive reviews the album got were yet another proof of that. 2009, the Italian band ANCIENT BARDS surprised the Metal scene with their debut album "The Alliance Of The Kings" - the fans and critics soon drew comparisons with Rhapsody respectively Rhapsody Of Fire.