Steel Arctus â Dreamruler Review
By Andy-War-Hall
Brothers, you need power metal in your life. No, you do. You need authentic positivity shot straight into your cynic-rotten hearts, now. Most fortunate for you, Greek power metallers Steel Arctus have graced this year of 2025 with their third album Dreamruler, marking the third entry into the chronicles of their titular hero Steel Arctus. 2020âs Fire and Blood detailed the origins of Steel Arctus and his girlfriend Red Sonja the Arcadian Lady, 2022âs Master of War saw him delve into the fires of Hades and now Dreamruler sees him challenge the titular Dreamruler in his evil world of dreams to rescue his bodacious muse. Though the first two albums were good, Steel Arctus only grazed greatness a few times in their young career. Is Dreamruler the one thatâll bring them there? Hold your hammers high.
Steel Arctus are sworn to the flame of metal glory, and Dreamruler carries that fire by way of anthemic power metal. Dreamruler is imbued with the fantasy-minded songwriting of Dio, the epic vocal acrobatics of Lost Horizon and the fist-balling machismo of Judas Priest and Visigoth. âRiding through the Nightâ sees Steel Arctus fuse Judas Priest grit and Nocturnal Rites hookiness, âFate of the Beastâ marries Stratovarius neoclassical-isms with Paladin riffing and âWill to Powerâ embodies so much Manowar that Iâm surprised Manowar never wrote it. Steel Arctus harness these influences into lean, catchy tunes thatâwhile never feeling totally original, obviouslyâfeel deeply energized and alive. Just hearing the Lost Horizon bloopy synths and grandeur of âDefender of Steel,â the Iced Earth thrash-power of âCry for Revenge,â and the Savatage class and nastiness of âDreamrulerâ evoked that sense of first getting into metal again. Listening to Dreamruler is listening to everything Steel Arctus love distilled into forty-seven minutes of heavy metal bliss.
This mimicry of established styles wouldnât work so well if Steel Arctus werenât incredible musicians. Thankfully, guitarist Nash G. churns out quality riffs like itâs nothing, bringing beefy grooves to âWill to Powerâ and nimble plucking on âFires of Deathâ. While extremely technical and wah-heavy (âFires of Deathâ), G.âs solos avoid hollowness through a melody-first approach; just hear those twins on âDreamrulerâ or how âWicked Liesâ plays with the riff beneath it. Drummer Minas Chatziminas crushes his kicks (âDefender of Steelâ) while fitting in cool tom and cymbal work (âRiding through the Nightâ) and just enough kick variation for some rhythmic interest (âDreamrulerâ), while bassist Strutter (Wardrum) lays down thick-toned bass runs throughout Dreamruler and even leads on âWicked Lies.â But vocalist Tasos Lazaris (Fortress Under Siege, White Wizzard) is the leader of this quest called Dreamruler, as his incredible range (âLegend of the Warriorâ,) power (âCry for Revengeâ) and charisma (âGlory of the Heroâ) sharpen the hooks of Dreamruler and give Steel Arctus a commanding presence. Put together, and Dreamrulerâs an outstandingly fun romp worthy of Steel Arctusâ many influences.
The only blemish on Dreamruler is that the ending isnât a smash success. The penultimate âLegend of the Warriorâ opens in dramatic fashion, replete with swirling synths, plucked clean guitar and spoken narration Ă la Lost Horizon that really sounds like Steel Arctus are building towards a true epic conclusion akin to âHighlander (The One).â Instead, it and the closing instrumental âOnar (ÏΜαÏ),â1 move through mid-paced crawls that leave Dreamruler with a minor case of anticlimax. Theyâre not bad songsâ âLegend of the Warriorâ features Lazarisâ most dynamic performance and âOnar (ÏΜαÏ)â sounds genuinely restorative in its pleasantnessâbut with how much pathos Steel Arctus weave into their music I think Dreamruler wouldâve benefited from a bigger, grander finale. Steel Arctus can tell a story: I have no idea what happens in Dreamruler narrative-wise, but when Lazaris commands âHammer Highyaaa!â on âDefender of Steel,â who needs a plot? Iâm right there anyway.
Steel Arctus have leveled up tremendously on Dreamruler, and anyone with even a smidgen of appreciation for power metal should give this a spin. They donât do anything new or novel whatsoever on Dreamruler, and, yeah, these are the most generic power metal song titles imaginable, but Steel Arctus hammered their way into greatness by sheer force of will anywayâalong with amazing performances and adept songcraft, of course. Everything about Dreamruler is wholehearted, from Steel Arctusâ celebration of heavy metalâs past to their overwhelming showmanship. This is music of gigantic melancholy and gigantic mirth and easily one of, if not the yearâs best power metal albums.
Rating: Great
DR: 72 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: No Remorse Records
Websites: steelarctus.com | steelarctus.bandcamp | facebook.com/steelarctus
Releases Worldwide: November 28th, 2025
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