Album Review : Soldiers of Forgiveness "The Year of Aquarius: Only Poetry Lives Forever"
With The Year of Aquarius: Only Poetry Lives Forever, Soldiers of Forgiveness deliver their most expansive and emotionally charged chapter yet in the ongoing GAME saga. As the third album in their conceptual arc, this release feels like a true “quarter finale”: reflective, ambitious, and unafraid to wander far beyond conventional metal boundaries.
Opening with “Dystopian Dreams,” the album immediately establishes its theatrical language—symphonic layers, classic metal riffing, and an almost cinematic sense of tension. The frequent interludes, from The Poet to The Rebel and The Legacy, act as narrative signposts, deepening the album’s storytelling and reinforcing its bard-like spirit. Rather than interrupting the flow, they enhance the sense that this record is meant to be experienced as a complete journey.
The multi-part suite—“The Boy Who Only Wanted To Be A Poet,” “The Enemy Inside,” and the sprawling Parts III–V—forms the emotional backbone of the album. Here, Soldiers of Forgiveness shine as composers, blending symphonic metal, heavy metal, power metal, and prog sensibilities with fearless playfulness. Tracks like “Evil That Men Do” and “Unquenchable Fire” hit hard with driving riffs and urgent energy, while “Autumn Winds” and “Children of the Moon” introduce introspection, melody, and even subtle nostalgia.
The album’s centerpiece, “Part IV: Where The Madness Reigns,” is a 12-minute epic that justifies its length through dynamic shifts, dramatic tension, and theatrical flair. By the time the title track, “Only Poetry Lives Forever,” arrives, the album’s core message is unmistakable: chaos, conflict, and time may dominate the GAME, but art and words are what endure.
Closing with “Illusions and Dreams,” Soldiers of Forgiveness leave the listener suspended between hope and uncertainty. It’s an ambitious, heartfelt album that rewards patience and imagination—proof that, in their universe, poetry truly does live forever.
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