“Charlemagne: The Omens of Death” is a Criminally Hidden Gem in the Power Metal Genre
By Connor Danz, Creative Editor
“Charlemagne: The Omens of Death” was the final musical work of legendary actor Christopher Lee. It was released on May 27th, 2013. Along with being an actor, knight, nazi hunter and master swordsman, “metal artist” was also apart of Lee’s resume. Despite being 8 years old, this album is one of the most underrated metal albums of all time.
The album itself is a sequel to “Charlemagne: Sword and Cross.” The first of Lee’s albums is based on his ancestor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. While that album has more hints of edge, “Charlemagne: The Omens of Death” is full out metal and power metal. The interesting part is that the two albums share many of the same songs, but with stronger and heavier instrumentals on the newer one. The album contains ten tracks, in order:
The Portent – The first song of the album establishes that this album while having songs that stand on their own, is best listened to front to back as a chronological story. This idea is exemplified in this song as it is more of a spoken word song, with Lee portraying an old Charlemagne pondering how his fate as king led him to be a great killer of men for God. After the spoken word portion is over, the song shreds into a great instrumental riff by guitarist Hedras Ramos Jr. and superb drum work by Ollie Usiskin who is featured throughout the album.
Charles the Great – The second track on the album is much more of a fully-fledged song than the previous. The song sets up the framing of the album as an old Charlemagne speaking to his loyal servant, Einhard, with Charlemagne detailing the deeds of his life to him to record. This song is about Charlemagne taking the throne of the Franks, defeating his brother Coleman and vowing to be the defender of Christianity. The music of the song is very infectious. There is nice and low place shredding during the verses, with it picking up for the intense sections described by the lyrics. With a triumphant choir kicking in during the chorus and the neat solo, this makes for a great listen.
The Siege – This song comes right off the heels of the previous track with an imposing drum beat and guitar which mixes well with the state of crisis depicted in the lyrics. The lyrics tell the story of Charlemagne and his conflict with King Desiderius of Lombard when he attacked the papal lands. The music continues to perfectly sync with their lyrics, maintaining a strong rhythm that gives off an intense feeling of urgency, which is mirrored by the lyrics.
Massacre of the Saxons – The fourth track of the album similarly kicks off immediately with intense instruments and the standout being the emphasized pounding of the drums. This helps emphasize the depiction of Charlemagne’s battle at Verden and the subsequent bloody massacre of the Saxon armies in the name of Christ. This is possibly the best song on the album, with the fast-paced guitar shredding and merciless drums giving the feeling of being in a bloody battle during the Middle Ages.
Dawning Of a New Age – This is the fittingly-named midway point of the album and is in a similar vein to the first song. Unlike the previously fast-paced song, this a slow but high-spirited proclamation of Charlemagne as king and his righteousness. The guitar and drums aren’t as fast, but uplifting nonetheless. This song acts as a bridge between the two action-packed halves of this album.
Let Legend Mark Me as the King – This is the opening to the second half of the album. It immediately picks up with the heavy and fast pace of the former tracks. This song presents a very introspective Charlemagne, wondering how his deeds will be remembered and what it will be like at the end to be confronted by Christ. The fast pace turns triumphant for each chorus, and Charlemagne proclaims his questions about the future of his golden age. This is another home-run song on this album as it truly connects the listener to Charlemagne and what he feels.
The Betrayal – This is the seventh song on the album and a most interesting one. This eliminates the familiar guitar and drums and replaces them with organs and strings. Much like the first song, this is a spoken-word song with triumphant horns being introduced in the middle to accompany the Latin lyrics. The metal instruments make a kicking comeback near the end of the song, as the battle against the Pyrenees ensues.
The Devil’s Advocate – This is the eighth track, and it shows a bit of a musical contrast compared to the previous songs. Instead of the fast shredding of the previous songs, this song has a down-tuned guitar, similar to how Black Sabbath handled its guitar. It also prominently features other singers as both Charlemagne’s knights and the Devil’s men.
The Ultimate Sacrifice – Coming close to the end here, the ninth track starts at a slower pace with traditional strings until the Knight of Charlemagne proclaims to have no fear in the face of death. That’s when the drums and guitar slam in. The song depicts the Knights sacrificing themselves to protect “The Chosen One,” Charlemagne, from a Paladin ambush.
Judgement Day – This is the epilogue of the album, and it presents a reflective Charlemagne before his day of reckoning. He reflects on his new golden age and contemplates if the God whose name he slaughtered hundreds in is even real. This is a powerful closing track, and comparably slow with the opening being a spoken-word art-form and a musical build-up that ultimately ends in a choir performing a reprise of his praise from Dawning of a New Age.
“Charlemagne: The Omens of Death” is one of the best metal albums I have ever listened to. It has a host of good songs but works infinitely better as an entire album. All of the vocalists and musicians do a fantastic job with Christopher Lee’s booming Charlemagne standing above them. This is a very strong recommendation from me, and what an album to end a career on!