Music Video Review: 'Gates of Fire' by Silent Winter

Metal is my favorite genre of music, followed closely by Rock and Roll and J-Pop. I appreciate the genre for many reasons, but one of the more significant ones is the fact that there so many subgenres that makeup metal. Out of the various metal subgenres, my favorites are folk metal, symphonic metal and last but certainly not least, power metal. 

From Rhapsody of Fire to Stratovarius, power metal is always present on my playlists, and the most recent band to find its way onto my favorites is Silent Winter. A Greek power metal band based in Thessaly, this group made me an instant fan with one of their latest songs, “Gates of Fire,” which is now their subject for their first lyric video for their new album, “Empire of Sin.” 

How is this new video? Does it truly capture everything that Silent Winter’s song has to offer? Let’s pick up our swords and shields and charge forward!

As with any lyric video, there are various images that provide the background for the lyrics, and like any lyric video for a power metal song, each image is striking, perfectly capturing rousing representations of power and valor. 

The first thing we are shown is the sun setting on a mountain valley, barren except for the sword and shield that are embedded into the ground. The rest of the video adds visuals to the story that unfolds through the lyrics; of three hundred warriors led by their king to fight for their land. 

There are visuals of this mighty army traveling across mountains, their silhouettes raising spears and swords to a sky cloaked in a vicious shade of red. These sights are followed by the same army, marching across a harsh valley towards the towering mountain in the distance. Each scene in this lyric video captures the gallantry that all power metal should evoke in the story its lyrics tell.

However, this video is not only still images; there are also various parts of the video which are fully animated. There are two such sequences in the video, with the warrior king appearing to walk through the doors of a stone temple. 

The brilliant light of the outside illuminating his outline is quite the striking image as he practices combat with his sword. The other animated sequence, which is by far my favorite part of the video, was the animation of the soldiers charging forward, just in time for the guitar solo to kick in. 

Watching warriors charge into battle to the sound of an insane guitar solo is something I never tire of, and it perfectly captures the charm of not only “Gates of Fire” as a song, but also power metal. It is such a classic element for the genre, and I was very happy to see it in this music video. At the very end of the video, and at the end of the last battle, we are shown the very first thing we saw, the sun rising upon a sword and shield in the ground.

Not only is this lyric video filled to the brim with heroic and valiant energy, but so is the actual song. With great vocals and an absolutely riveting instrumental, “Gates of Fire” is a piece that rouses you like a king inspiring his soldiers! I loved this song and video so much, that I am now completely hooked on their other songs as well! So far, “Soul Reaper” from their 2019 album, “The Circles of Hell,” is my favorite. 

All in all, not only does Silent Winter provide an utterly fantastic song, but it is supported by an equally fantastic lyric video. Harry Kontouris, the creator of the video, did a fantastic job designing this, and with his prior work on the video for “Nightfall,” another Silent Winter song, I hope that he continues to produce extraordinary work in his career. 

To Silent Winter, to Kontouris, keep up the incredible work, and may fortune smile upon your future battles.