A European speed metal comeback and its mysticism.

The veterans of the power metal band, Black Majesty, return to the heavy metal scene with their new album, Oceans of Black, which was released in June of 2025. They have been on a seven year hiatus since their last album. Looking to come back, Black Majesty, with their classic metal sound, meshed with dark, melodic guitars, reintroduces their style from earlier albums. Similar to hair bands from the heavy metal era, their frontman is John Cavaliere, whose voice is powerful, contributing to the band’s epic vibe.

Besides the vocalist of Black Majesty, Cavaliere, the quintet has a lineup that consists of Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohammed on guitars, Evan Harris on bass and Ben Wignall on drums. The current band members have been together for approximately a decade, and for the last three releases, including the Oceans of Black. Some of the band’s distinct musicality is derived from its influences, which include Queensyrche. In addition, Black Majesty has a speed thrash aggression that is reminiscent of European power metal, which emerges clearly in the album’s following tracks.

First and foremost, a track that stood out on the album is the second one called, “Set Stone on Fire.” The intro provides a curious atmosphere, followed by  guitar riffs, with an extremely quick tempo. Coupled with the soaring vocals, the energetic music urges people to fight against oppression.

Another song featured on the album that goes by its namesake, “Oceans of Black,” is the sixth track of the album, which has an epic sound.  The song’s sound is generated by catchy,  guitar riffs and melodic choruses. Moreover, there are multiple soaring, virtuoso  guitar solos, over the galloping guitar rhythms. The song’s core message is one of escaping the darkness and moral decay of society.

Furthermore, the eleventh track on the album is named, “Astral Voyager,” another epic song on the album. It is filled with some powerful, shimmering melodies and dynamic double bass drumming that is characteristic of Black Majesty’s signature sound. Along with Black Majesty’s vocals, the music sets the stage for a vast, legendary journey that could be an out of body experience, or a trip to another world.

Along with Black Majesty’s European classic speed metal in Oceans of Black, they offer the listener a grandiose atmosphere, which may be an ideal listen for many heavy metal fans in addition to their fan base. However, if you are a heavy metal aficionado that has a taste for more hardcore death metal, with guttural vocals, this may not be the album for your current listening preference.