Review by Greg on March 23, 2026.

As of late, Greece has become somewhat of a breeding ground for heavy metal that is EPIC, in all caps and in every respect. If Sacred Outcry was the one to have met the most (deserved) accolades here, Triumpher, much like other Athens-based acts like Achelous or Protean Shield, is equally unafraid to imbue some good ol' Greek mythology into their mixture of solemn riffing and wailing vocals. But, fear not, there's nothing pompous or pretentious here. Otherwise, it's safe to say that I wouldn't have stopped here at all, and certainly I wouldn't have stuck around until the end of the album – let alone replayed it several times since.

It helps that they have a massive PUNCH. Heavy metal, especially of the NWOBHM variant, seems to have kinda blown up in the last decade, and I certainly wouldn't consider myself an Eternal Champion or a Riot City fan (no disrespect intended, just the first two names that came to mind while writing), so I was expecting something even just a bit similar. Therefore, you can picture my absolute shock hearing Triumpher come in all guns blazing with 'Arrival of the Avenger' – frantic blast-beats, pugilistic guitars, and incendiary vocals (more on that later), for an introduction that's pretty much a more condensed and explosive rewriting of Manowar's 'Blood of the Kings'. To reiterate the point, there's no shortage of intensity throughout the whole tracklist. This is epic heavy metal first and foremost, passed through a power metal filter to give it a sharper kick (check out the title-track's more vibrant energy), but also not disdaining occasional excursions into blackened territory – see the frontman's almost growled approach in 'Athena (1st Chapter)', or, perhaps most notably, the explosive (if abrupt) finale of 'Alexander', which also passes through a distinctly Dissection-esque ominous crawl in the prechorus. As such, despite my strong temptation to draw a Virgin Steele comparison, these five dudes go straight for the jugular, rather than embracing the almost romantic spirit of DeFeis and accomplices. Actually, their 'barbaric' appellative would feel more at home here.

Vocals, as said, deserve a paragraph of their own, and are also the reason why I tend to refer to Triumpher as 'blackened Manowar', and I'm surprised it isn't as common as I thought it would be. You'll never hear me say a bad word about the other four guys, all clearly skilled at their instruments. But Triumpher wouldn't have been as successful with another man on the mic, to the point that I can overlook the funny fact that he's the only one in the band using a pseudonym. Antonis Vailas, or Mars Triumph if you will, is all over this stuff. He does a fantastic job at replicating Eric Adams' immeasurable commanding power in every second, oozes the same attitude, has an impressive extension, and yet there's not a moment where he sounds like he's showing off for its own sake, which would have me rolling my eyes regardless of the dude's pipes (see: the guy from Exxûl). No, he sounds utterly heroic at all times, clad in breastplate and helmet and holding his lance like the figures on the artwork. He's such a valuable asset that he injects even more life into already excellent songs.

Back to the music, despite expecting my thrasher ass to be drawn to the more relentless, riffy moments, it's actually slower fare like 'Athena (1st Chapter)' that really takes the crown, tied with closer 'Hall of a Thousand Storms' as easily the best song on display. Both offer a comprehensive sample of Triumph's whole repertoire, culminating in two glorious refrains (and, in the former's case, a likewise memorable section leading up to it). Solos aren't the most life-changing you've ever come across, but there's some seriously great leadwork, with the crescendo halfway through 'Shores of Marathon' being another highlight worth mentioning. Actually, Spirit Invictus' consistency is enviable, but even this beast does not come without imperfections. The namesake 'Triumpher' almost feels like a Manowar parody, for a change – 'Fire, death and hate, fire, death, war', etc. – but it's another menacing bastard of a track. The same could be applied to the title track, as I've always found its refrain a bit too banal, and wasting a bit of its power-ish momentum. Another less-than-enthralling experiment was the intrusive narration clashing with Triumph's vocals in the first verse of 'Alexander'. But nothing to fret about, for sure, as they're over quickly enough and return to the better stuff. And when these tiny details are the flaws, it truly means one must struggle to find something to criticize.

This is especially forgivable as Spirit Invictus is already an evolution from the still rock-solid Storming the Walls, and a definite step up from it, at least to my ears – less bloat, more compact songs and more memorable hooks, really clicking from the first listen already. Its successor, the third effort Piercing the Heart of the World, is to be released in a few days. Good luck topping this. Still, this much is certain: in Mars we trust.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Brexaul on August 2, 2023.

2023 is turning out to be the defining year for Greece, which keeps making a killing and should be considered the capital of everything epic. While the Greeks were always known for their contributions to the extreme metal scene with the well-established heavy hitters, it took them a while until they broke through the wall of sloppy performing, bad productions and rough accents on the heavy/power metal front. But the past few years, one can easily claim that Greece has one of the best quantity/quality ratios to show, with some bands leading the race.

Triumpher rose from the ashes of Saboter, another very interesting Greek band and they deliver the kind of epic heavy metal with such confidence and persuasion that would make other bands call it quits. Borrowing heavily from "The Triumph Of Steel" era Manowar, they have expertly crafted a very interesting amalgam of influences that sounds fresh and interesting. I saw some reviews and read some feedback calling them Manowar clones, but I think this hardly does the music any justice since a) Manowar haven’t sounded this good for over two decades and b) they are just so much more than that. They manage to blend a whole wide variety of influences, from Slayer-ish thrash attacks to straight up Swedish/Norwegian (and Greek obviously) black metal so nicely, that Storming The Walls has something that a lot of new bands struggle to find until their third or fourth release, and that something is character.

The sound is freaking amazing, raw, without sounding too underground and polished, without sounding pretentious and sterile. Every instrument is played to perfection and clearly has its place in the mix and perfectly conveys the aggression and passion of the music. The drummer gives the performance of a lifetime, blending every trick up his sleeve, not afraid to experiment with blast beats and odd time signatures, greatly adding to the overall output. The guitars are sharp as a Damascus steel blade and do a hell of a job, both in the rhythm and lead parts, while the bass occasionally gets the spotlight with some sweet, distorted improvisations. Everything works great to create a solid ground for leader/vocalist Mars Triumph to unfold his full talent, utilizing his full arsenal.

He does a great job here, as one moment you get the black metal rasping aggression and next thing you know he is wailing like a banshee, in a tone and delivery heavily reminiscent of Eric Adams in his glory days. If I had to nitpick a bit, I’d like Mars’ grittier vocals to be on par with his stellar natural/clean voice and I’d proofread some of the lyrics before finalizing them as there is the occasional grammar mishap, which I know many people don’t give a shit, but I always like to delve into every aspect of a release. Mars Triumph is also responsible for the fantastic cover, which if I understand correctly, he painted himself as this is his full-time job. It shows the passion and creativity he put into this album, and I hope he keeps doing the covers for their future releases.

The songwriting is varied and very interesting, although my first impression was that I might have preferred a small shuffle on the track order. Nothing too major, but it would make the album a tad more accessible, although after spending about a month on this, I really see no issue for people willing to familiarize themselves before reviewing something. There are a lot of Bathory-esque moments in here (with the difference Mars can actually sing on key – sorry Quorthon, I love you) that add to the general feeling of epic and at it got so majestic at times, that I thought I was actually witnessing a scene from the cover, the armies of hell marching to the heaven’s walls and wrecking shit up. It’s really intense and well made. There are no bad songs in here and I have a difficulty picking up my favorite track, which is always a sign of a great album, although there are some that are much easier to get into, like the closing epic 'The Blazing Circle' which has that “instant hit” feeling.

In all honesty, this is a fantastic album. Triumpher came blasting (literally!) out of nowhere and they present a near flawless creation that I feel is only the start of something much greater. Even if they maintain 100% of the formula of Storming The Walls, they are already miles ahead from most of their contemporaries in terms of originality, songwriting, performance and vision. Keep an eye on this band, because I’ll be yelling I TOLD YOU SO on their next release.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Brexaul on August 2, 2023.

2023 is turning out to be the defining year for Greece, which keeps making a killing and should be considered the capital of everything epic. While the Greeks were always known for their contributions to the extreme metal scene with the well-established heavy hitters, it took them a while until they broke through the wall of sloppy performing, bad productions and rough accents on the heavy/power metal front. But the past few years, one can easily claim that Greece has one of the best quantity/quality ratios to show, with some bands leading the race.

Triumpher rose from the ashes of Saboter, another very interesting Greek band and they deliver the kind of epic heavy metal with such confidence and persuasion that would make other bands call it quits. Borrowing heavily from "The Triumph Of Steel" era Manowar, they have expertly crafted a very interesting amalgam of influences that sounds fresh and interesting. I saw some reviews and read some feedback calling them Manowar clones, but I think this hardly does the music any justice since a) Manowar haven’t sounded this good for over two decades and b) they are just so much more than that. They manage to blend a whole wide variety of influences, from Slayer-ish thrash attacks to straight up Swedish/Norwegian (and Greek obviously) black metal so nicely, that Storming The Walls has something that a lot of new bands struggle to find until their third or fourth release, and that something is character.

The sound is freaking amazing, raw, without sounding too underground and polished, without sounding pretentious and sterile. Every instrument is played to perfection and clearly has its place in the mix and perfectly conveys the aggression and passion of the music. The drummer gives the performance of a lifetime, blending every trick up his sleeve, not afraid to experiment with blast beats and odd time signatures, greatly adding to the overall output. The guitars are sharp as a Damascus steel blade and do a hell of a job, both in the rhythm and lead parts, while the bass occasionally gets the spotlight with some sweet, distorted improvisations. Everything works great to create a solid ground for leader/vocalist Mars Triumph to unfold his full talent, utilizing his full arsenal.

He does a great job here, as one moment you get the black metal rasping aggression and next thing you know he is wailing like a banshee, in a tone and delivery heavily reminiscent of Eric Adams in his glory days. If I had to nitpick a bit, I’d like Mars’ grittier vocals to be on par with his stellar natural/clean voice and I’d proofread some of the lyrics before finalizing them as there is the occasional grammar mishap, which I know many people don’t give a shit, but I always like to delve into every aspect of a release. Mars Triumph is also responsible for the fantastic cover, which if I understand correctly, he painted himself as this is his full-time job. It shows the passion and creativity he put into this album, and I hope he keeps doing the covers for their future releases.

The songwriting is varied and very interesting, although my first impression was that I might have preferred a small shuffle on the track order. Nothing too major, but it would make the album a tad more accessible, although after spending about a month on this, I really see no issue for people willing to familiarize themselves before reviewing something. There are a lot of Bathory-esque moments in here (with the difference Mars can actually sing on key – sorry Quorthon, I love you) that add to the general feeling of epic and at it got so majestic at times, that I thought I was actually witnessing a scene from the cover, the armies of hell marching to the heaven’s walls and wrecking shit up. It’s really intense and well made. There are no bad songs in here and I have a difficulty picking up my favorite track, which is always a sign of a great album, although there are some that are much easier to get into, like the closing epic 'The Blazing Circle' which has that “instant hit” feeling.

In all honesty, this is a fantastic album. Triumpher came blasting (literally!) out of nowhere and they present a near flawless creation that I feel is only the start of something much greater. Even if they maintain 100% of the formula of Storming The Walls, they are already miles ahead from most of their contemporaries in terms of originality, songwriting, performance and vision. Keep an eye on this band, because I’ll be yelling I TOLD YOU SO on their next release.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10