ARRAYAN PATH – Discography Ranking

The time has come to discuss and rank the work of the Cypriot, Epic Power Metallers ARRAYAN PATH! Initially formed as ARRYAN PATH in 1997, they were slightly renamed to avoid any wrong correlations with you know what. They are the child of vocalist Nicholas Leptos, with his brother Socrates being at his side for the entire journey covering the role of guitars. 

Their first Full Length took some time to brew as it saw the light of day in 2004. After a 6 years gap, the sophomore “Terra Incognita” came to being and with it, a more stable cadence of releases, bringing the count to 9 at the time of writing in 2024. 

The band’s lyrics are usually covering the themes of Mythology and Greek/ Cypriot History, but there are some deviations here and there like the more Religion focused “Stigmata” and “Dawn of Aquarius”.    

On their core, ARRAYAN PATH are a band that live mainly in the studio as it is clearly a side activity and not the members’ main job, with some very selected live shows within the borders of Greece and Cyprus. Considering this, the consistency of their releases’ combined cadence and quality, makes them a very unique case worthy of attention, as this is not an occurrence you meet everyday. Their longevity and dedication is the last thing I would doubt. 

What are the main characteristics that differentiate them from the crowded pool of Power Metal bands you may ask. The first identifier is the amazing vocal performances of Leptos. We are talking about a very lyrical and theatrical voice with an excellent tone that definitely stands out! Combine this with his otherworldly ability of composing exquisite vocal melodies and you have struck a golden vein. 

Of course on its own it would not mean much, so here is where the second trademark comes into play and that is the music in the form of the great atmospheres the band creates for its songs. When telling a story of ancient history for example, their music is epic and bombastic, while the one time they focused on the passions of Christ, it wore a cloak of melancholic vibes. 

Needless to say that if you are a fan of the Epic Metal sound, ARRAYAN PATH are a guaranteed option with a rich catalog to choose from. While being a studio focused band can have some negative side effects, it also means that the group is not pressured by producing music that follows any specific industry guidelines. They follow their heart, they return when they feel it and that is why every new release is different by carrying its own value. 

Countdown:

9. Chronicles of Light (2016)

If you want to be an AP completionist, “Chronicles of light” is not bad by any means, I just like the others more. It can boast a very strong start and ‘Gabriel is rising’ is among the best of their whole discography. Yet out of the ten songs, the three are ballads/slower ones and one is a cover, which hurts a little the power of the record as a whole. As a counterweight, the slower ‘December’ and “Ignore the pain’ are great with very inspired melodies, but I find there is a bit too much of a focus on the melodies in this album.  

Favorite three: ‘Solomon seed’, ‘Gabriel is rising’, ‘Ignore the pain’

8. The Marble Gates to Apeiron (2020)

I remember this one coming during the barren, for new music, period of the Covid lockdowns and felt like a huge ray of sunlight that cut through the dark like a knife slices the butter. Expectedly it has heavy atmospheres and darker themes which I like, but two weaker entries (‘Virus’ and ‘Silent masquerade’) along with a more mixed thematology (‘Black sails’ feel kind of isolated from the rest album for example), made the choice for this spot less hard. 

Favorite three: ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘The mourning ghost’, ‘Black sails (The Nemean Ode)’  

7.Road to Macedonia (2004)

The debut is nothing if not a little inconsistent, but it contains some of the best ARRAYAN PATH songs, period!!! It could reach a higher positioning, but it faces one big obstacle and that is its production, to the point that every time I revisit it I think how much it needs a re-recording. Don’t let that discourage you, as the situation is vastly improved even from the second album and it does not alter the fact that the good tracks here are true gems!

Favorite three: ‘The liberation song’, ‘Osiris’, ‘Piri Reis’

6. Ira Imperium (2011)

Now we enter the territory of the champions, where ranking became a real headache. “Ira Imperium” effortlessly excels in the vocal melodies department, while there is great song variety that ranges from a ballad to some fast bangers, all sharing strong foundations of epicness. The guesting of the legend Tony Martin on the title track is a surprise, with the result reaching stratospheric levels of good! Vangelis Maranis of SANVOISEN (!) also lends his voice in ‘Kiss of Kali’, which is too much to handle, in a good way. Perhaps the album is too long for its own good with 13 songs, only because there are very high peaks that overshadow some others. 

Favorite three: ‘Ira Imperium’, ‘Kiss of Kali’, ‘The fall of Mardonius’  

5. Terra Incognita (2010)

Don’t know if it is indeed better than “Ira Imperium” but it serves as my entry point with the band, so it cheated the higher spot that way. A great collection of epic songs with no fillers, some oriental filters that work like a charm and two imposing opuses in the first and last place (if we exclude the bonus track). This was the time that ARRAYAN PATH were introduced as a band of huge potential, with proper production values. We could say that its compositions aged like fine wine, as they are always cheered for when announced during live shows.

Favorite three: ‘Cassiopeia’, ‘Minas Tirith’, ‘Ishtar’    

4. Thus Always to Tyrants (2022)

The most recent addition, “Thus…” is a concept album telling the story of a very important piece of Cypriot history, and its king Evagoras. Any album that engages with ancient history and respects itself should be epic to say the least and there was not any chance that AP would underdeliver. What I like is that at this point the band is very mature by carrying many years and records of experience, so combining this with their preserved desire of writing new music, can only lead to greatness. Some songs have nice surprises (‘The king’s aegis’), at times new things are tried (‘Crossing over to Phoenicia’) and the members prove that they still maintain the attributes that made them stand out in the first place. For someone so far into their career, I couldn’t ask for anything more. 

Favorite three: ‘Crossing over to Phoenicia’, ‘Raid of the Achaemenids’, ‘In Salamis’

3. Archegonoi (2018)

This one houses a LOT of music as it is a double album. For the most part we meet durations that pass the 5min mark, so as you understand the vision behind “Archegonoi” was very specific and ambitious, with the result feeling grand in every aspect. Rarely does an album of such duration maintain a stable quality in the ears of the listener and while this is partially true in this case, we would be ungrateful if we said that AP did not do an excellent job. If you ask me, I would do fine without a couple of songs (but no more than that) and the record would be flawless! This would alter the goal that was the creation of a double-album though, so it is better that way because surely it is a result you can brag about and be proud of as a musician.     

Favorite three: ‘Eastern sands’, ‘Sins of Pandora’, ‘Thermopylae 480 BC’

2. Dawn of Aquarius (2017)

Perhaps the most Power Metal album of AP. It is a very cohesive total and in a more fair world it would gather the gaze of a considerable volume of the genre’s fans. The impressive part is that the first half is really good, but as you delve deeper, the songs get better and better! Personally, I find it the most different work of the band in a good way and hadn’t I not been very attached to the top entry, “Dawn of Aquarius” would easily occupy that slot.

Favorite three: ‘Cremation grounds’, ‘The eleventh mantra’, ‘Guardian angel’

1. IV: Stigmata (2013)

We reached the peak, so let’s see why ‘Stigmata’ deserves to be here. Firstly, I find it along with “Ira Imperium” as the albums with the best vocal melodies from Leptos. Yes, those exist in all records, but in those two they are off the roof. Then we have some specific compositions that are a big slap in the face, namely those mentioned below as my favorites, in an already magnificent ARRAYAN PATH record. And what I identify as a totally personal preference, I simply love the mysterious, dark and melancholic atmosphere that was used. All those combined have contributed to one of the albums that shaped my early musical adult years, with countless repeats. 

Favorite three: ‘Midnight and the First-Born Massacre’, ‘Judas Iscariot’, ‘Stigmata’

Pavlos Pavlakis