{"id":978022,"date":"2026-08-03T14:44:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/978022\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T14:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:44:20","slug":"review-novareign-shifting-the-axis-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/978022\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Novareign – Shifting the Axis of the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Andy<\/strong><\/a> on 2026\/08\/032026\/08\/03<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by Seventhtowerart<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Power Metal, Progressive Metal (Clean Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Angra, Lost Horizon, Dragonforce, Symphony X, Edu Falaschi, Iron Maiden
Country: United States
Release date: 17 July 2026<\/p>\n

Last week I celebrated my four-year anniversary of writing for the Subway on the same day the blog published my two hundred fiftieth review.1<\/a> It\u2019s almost hard to believe how long the blog has been around because it\u2019s nearly unrecognizable from the time I joined, halfway into The Progressive Subway\u2019s magnificent existence. Since I\u2019ve joined, we\u2019ve redesigned the site, gone from publishing a review every couple days to daily (even twice a day sometimes), dramatically reduced our score average like serious critics, and collectively raised the writing quality immensely. But the blog has been operable since B.A.,2<\/a> and buried in our first twenty posts ever published, in a batch-post format of reviews long-abandoned, there is a half-paragraph write-up<\/a> of Novareign<\/strong>\u2019s 2018 debut, Legends.<\/p>\n

We were less discerning with high scores back in the olden days, so I didn\u2019t expect Legends\u2019s 8\/10 score to hold up under closer scrutiny; as it turns out, that record still kicks ass, a power\/prog debut full of ambitious songwriting and killer performances. Eight years is a long time to hone your craft, so I\u2019ve got lofty expectations for Shifting the Axis of the World.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Novareign<\/strong> didn\u2019t leave much room to grow like the primordial Subway did, and the band easily dodges the sophomore slump; in fact, not much at all has changed for the Los Angeles-based power\/prog group since their debut\u2014barring a couple small lineup shifts. As Sam pointed out way back when, one of Novareign<\/strong>\u2019s myriad strengths is the dual guitarists setup, handled by Balmore Lemus (ex-Exmortus<\/strong>) and newcomer to the band David Walston. When the two aren\u2019t tied together in harmonized heavy metal solos, one is guaranteed to be playing a flamboyantly technical, hyper-melodic riff in the style of Dragonforce<\/strong> or Edu Falaschi<\/strong>,3<\/a> while the other locks in with the bass and drums to provide a thrashy rhythm section. However, as virtuosic as the guitarists are on the album, Moises Galvez\u2019s bass steals the show from just a minute in, where he unleashes a monstrously technical, wickedly speedy tapping riff. All throughout the album, Galvez makes his presence known with his instrument\u2019s boisterous tone galloping beneath both choruses (\u201cSun & Moon,\u201d \u201cThunder & Majesty\u201d) and guitar solos (\u201cIronsides,\u201d \u201cBlood of the Game\u201d).<\/p>\n

The songs on Shifting the Axis of the World fit prog stereotypes with their lengthiness, but Novareign<\/strong> consistently make the runtimes pay off, balancing extended instrumental solo sections with catchy choruses\u2014I hardly notice that \u201cSun & Moon\u201d lasts ten minutes with all its hooks. Vocalist David Marquez\u2019s rich tenor hits notes both low and high with authority and provides substantial energy to Shifting the Axis of the World. Sure, he relies on the trope of shifting the last chorus up a key, but his parts are good enough to let it slide, and any opportunity to sing the choruses of bangers like \u201cShifting the Axis of the World\u201d and \u201cIronsides\u201d is welcome\u2014\u201cBlood of the Game\u201d even has some rhythmic modulation in complex grooves during the final run of the chorus. The transitions during tracks also demonstrate excellent songwriting chops\u2014the shift in tempo halfway through \u201cThunder & Majesty\u201d is particularly sublime, shifting seamlessly from muscular chorus to floating euphoria.<\/p>\n

The songwriting isn\u2019t perfect, though. The long buildup in the middle of \u201cSun & Moon\u201d doesn\u2019t pay off at all, as it concludes with a limp stompy rhythm and not some epic chorus or fiery solo. And whenever Novareign<\/strong> steps off the gas, the result is less strong than when they\u2019re at their most kinetic. The biggest sin is that Novareign<\/strong> struggle to end songs. \u201cSun & Moon\u201d and \u201cShifting the Axis of the World\u201d both conclude in the banal fashion that most metal concerts seem to: with the guitars making loud noises on whammy bars while the drummer goes ham in a chaotic \u201csolo.\u201d More offensively, \u201cIronsides\u201d ends with a fadeout\u2014finish your damn solo! The band also has an obvious place to grow: orchestration. Novareign<\/strong> brings out that big gun only in the second half of the finale title track, and the strings and horns complete their sound, making the whole track more epic and cinematic than anything else on the album.<\/p>\n

After what\u2019s been a weak few years for power\/prog, Sam\u2019s comment that Novareign<\/strong>\u2019s Legends lacked originality fortunately hasn\u2019t aged well: Shifting the Axis of the World feels refreshing in 2026. If anything. I can\u2019t blame Sam, though, since he couldn\u2019t have predicted how the progressive metal scene would shift over the next almost-decade, just like he never dreamed of how far the blog would grow. Going back through our annals has been worthwhile, just like listening to Shifting the Axis of the World will be for you, our readers. We\u2019ve been bringing you guys great music for a long time, as it turns out.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Sun & Moon, Ironsides, Blood of the Game, Shifting the Axis of the World
You may also like: Paladin, Judicator, Dimhav<\/a>, Tanagra<\/a>, Silver Talon, Holy Grail, Shadowstrike<\/a>
Final verdict: 7.5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: M-Theory Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Novareign<\/strong> is:
\u2013 Balmore Lemus (guitars, backing vocals)
\u2013 David Marquez (vocals)
\u2013 Moises Galvez (bass)
\u2013 Ulises Hernandez (drums)
\u2013 David Walston (guitars)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n