Release Date June 26th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Epic/Heavy Metal
Origin Sweden
Mace 'N' Chain emerged in northern Sweden at the end of 2020, formed by David Nilsson during the pandemic pause that stopped activity with his death metal band Feral. What began as a personal outlet became the 2021 demo "Upon The Anvil Formed", followed by the debut album "Among Ancient Pillars" in 2023 through No Remorse Records. Nilsson handled the entire debut and remains the main writer, singer and multi instrumentalist. For "Crowned In Grey Skies", drummer Joey Mancaruso entered the lineup, bringing experience from Fortress, Gravesword and Barren Cross.
Guest guitar solos from Tucker Thomasson, Shon Vincent, Matte Marklund, Jeffrey Young and Markus Lindahl add different accents across the album. Mace 'N' Chain belongs to the sword raised side of epic heavy metal, rooted in martial riffs, solemn melodies, fantasy
imagery and a raw vocal approach far removed from modern power metal gloss. Across eight tracks, "Crowned In Grey Skies" expands the debut’s scope through faster charges, doom paced marches, acoustic shading and broader melodic turns.
The riffs are the main weapon, built from gallops, low tuned chords and long heroic lines that often lead into choruses made for raised fists, not instant radio hooks. Nilsson’s voice remains raw and stern, with strained upper notes and sudden extreme metal accents that give the album character; the vocal style may take several spins to settle. Mancaruso’s drumming adds a firmer pulse and greater rhythmic variation, especially when the tempo changes inside longer songs. The album was tracked at Pagan Hell Studios in Sweden, with drums completed at Megadungeon Recording in Indiana, then mixed by Petter Nilsson at Sonner Sound and mastered by Arthur Rizk.
The final sound places guitars and vocals up front, leaving bass and drums firm beneath them, with enough separation for the acoustic parts and guest solos to register. The lyrics deal in ancestral memory, defiance, blood, wyrms, ancient power, burial mounds and ascent beyond light, using compact images in place of long explanatory stories. "Crowned In Grey Skies" is a disciplined second album, rich in riffs, varied in pace and severe in atmosphere, placing Mace 'N' Chain among the more substantial epic heavy metal releases of 2026.
|8.3
Add comment
Comments