Release Date 24.07.2026
Format CD/Vinyl
Genre Heavy Metal
Origin Canada
The Scepter were formed in Ottawa in 2018 and spent several years building their name through live appearances before arriving at their debut full length, “Shadows In The Tower”. The lineup features Josh Collins and Morgan Walsh on guitars, Stew Everitt on bass and John Crawford on drums, with JP Abboud handling vocals since joining the band in 2025.
Abboud brings considerable experience from his work with Traveler, Gatekeeper, Borrowed Time and other Canadian metal acts, making his arrival an important part of the album’s vocal profile. The Scepter has also established themselves as an active live band, with their stage work preceding the release of the debut and further shows planned around the album.
“Shadows In The Tower” is a compact heavy metal record built around fast guitar work, twin guitar harmonies, high register vocals and a strong connection between traditional heavy metal and speed metal. The production, handled through recording sessions with Mike Poisson, Topon Das and Adam Pell, followed by mixing from Mike Poisson and Jeff Black and mastering by Jeff Black, gives the album an old school presentation with enough separation for the guitars and vocals to remain prominent.
The songs move quickly, with the whole album lasting just under half an hour, and that brevity helps the material remain focused. “Where Art Thou” puts Abboud’s vocal range to work, while “Protector Of The Skies”, “Burn Bundy Burn”, “Dunes” and “Taarakian Blood” bring together fast riffs, melodic guitar lines and strong vocal hooks. “Taarakian Blood” also introduces an important lyrical concept for The Scepter, with the Taarakians forming part of a wider world that the band intends to explore further.
There is a strong underground heavy metal spirit throughout the album, with the guitars doing much of the musical talking and Abboud moving between soaring clean vocals and more aggressive delivery when required. The songwriting stays compact, with most ideas presented quickly and without unnecessary expansion. “Dunes” adds a more atmospheric shade through its melodic approach, while the title track closes the album with another fast, guitar driven piece.
The Scepter has recorded a debut that’s rooted in the traditional side of heavy metal, while the speed metal element gives the material its forward movement. The result is an album with enough variety inside its short running time to avoid becoming a one speed exercise, and the live background of the band is easy to understand when hearing how naturally these songs translate into a stage setting. Recent coverage has also noted the band’s strong live reputation and their plans to perform the album in full.
|8.3
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