Eight long years after releasing their explosive debut Legends, Novareign returns with long-awaited follow-up Shifting the Axis of the World. In his glowing review of Legends, Doc Wvrm heartily compared Novareign’s potent shredfest to DragonForce’s unabashed technical prowess while simultaneously praising the Los Angeles power-proggers’ songwriting chops. And he wasn’t wrong—for over an hour, Legends unites anthemic, massively addictive power metal hooks with fret-scorching fireworks. Yet with such an incendiary debut comes dreadfully high expectations, and with such a long wait between releases and a couple of lineup changes, Novareign direly needs a worthy successor. Can Shifting the Axis of the World rekindle the stuff of Legends?
Largely, Shifting the Axis of the World maintains the formula that made Legends so damn fun. Long-form power metal awaits listeners, but this time the overarching album length ducks under the hour mark and feels shorter than its fifty-four minutes suggest. Legends nimbly avoided feeling scattershot, and Novareign whets their songwriting on Shifting the Axis of the World even further, constructing a rocket-fueled blast through seven tracks as they take their established power-prog base and add a heaping dose of heavy metal. During Shifting the Axis of the World’s runtime, Novareign crams the bravado and complexity of Angra or Ascension into the classic heavy metal sensibilities of Van Halen or Maiden,1 and the result is at once impressive and comfortingly familiar.
Shifting the Axis of the World by Novareign
Though the technicality displayed on Legends persists, Novareign integrates it with more finesse on Shifting the Axis of the World’s compositions. The guitar tandem of Balmore Lemus and newcomer David Walston glitters across tracks “Sun & Moon” and “Mors Indecepta,” unleashing flurries of arpeggios and wrist-crippling riffs sure to please fans of high-velocity hijinks. Bassist Moises Galvez also steps into the spotlight (“Ode to the Masses,” “Sun & Moon,” “Blood of the Game”), adding a welcome depth of front ‘n’ center groove that Dr. Wvrm noted was wanting on Legends. Vocalist David Marquez supplies yet another improvement to Shifting the Axis of the World. A few moments on Novareign’s debut stretched the limits of his range, particularly when he added extra grit, but here Marquez sounds completely in control without sacrificing any dynamism. Shifting the Axis of the World supplies ample opportunities for Marquez, where he belts out in a tone that reminds me of Ronnie Romero (Lords of Black, Elegant Weapons) delivered with Bruce Dickinson’s theatricality and forges hooky as fook choruses (“Ode to the Masses” and “Sun & Moon,” especially). Lastly, Ulises Hernandez (Anubis) pummels and flits across his drums with precision clobbering, ensuring no weak links in the Novachain.
Even with Novareign addressing all the quibbles mentioned in their debut’s review, I come away feeling like Shifting the Axis of the World holds back just a touch. The performances are faultless, the songwriting has evolved, and the production never gets in the way of showcasing Novareign’s supreme musicianship—so what’s the rub? Ultimately, though the approach to compositions feels more considered, they sound a bit too safe as well. “Blood of the Game” demonstrates dynamic pacing with enticing peaks and valleys, yet it sprawls over seven minutes. It doesn’t drag, but it also doesn’t leave me wanting any more than it just gave me, either. Shifting the Axis of the World is cohesive and driving, yet its individual tracks extend long enough that none demand immediate replay or serve as a quick jolt of power.[Power Paladin’s “Sword Vigor” continues to be my go-to in 2026.] In the end, this is a meager nitpick, yet it inhibits my likelihood to return as often as I otherwise would. Still, after several plays, I continue to be surprised at how quickly the album goes by, and not once have I wearied of Novareign’s charms.
Without a doubt, Novareign supplies bountiful, jubilant fun on Shifting the Axis of the World. Even though it doesn’t have quite enough jet fuel to propel into list territory, I can’t deny that Shifting the Axis of the World stands as one of the best power metal albums of 2026 so far alongside Lovebites, Power Paladin, and Triumpher. If you’re a fan of progressive power metal or a fiend for gratuitous metallic cheese, don’t let Novareign escape your listening orbit.
Rating: Very Good!!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: M-Theory Audio
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026
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