'The Unconscious Mind of Arda' by RuinThrone
No genre embraces literary concept albums like power metal, and Italy’s RuinThrone clearly is up to the challenge. These well-read headbangers based their second album, The Unconscious Mind of Arda, on songs inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium—the collective name for the renowned fantasy writer’s mythopoeic poems and story sketches that provide the background to Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Taking musical cues from Rhapsody of Fire and Blind Guardian (elder statesmen of fantasy metal), RuinThrone presents alternative points of view from the minds of Tolkien’s villains rather than his heroes. “I Am the Night” and “The Eldest” best capture the band’s sound by showcasing aggressive vocals, relentless double-bass drumming, flashy keyboards and singalong choruses—all of which should please fans of Tolkien metal. You needn’t be a Tolkien reader to appreciate this album, although it might help the lyrics make more sense.
