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Greece's Battleroar have been around since 2000 and Codex Epicus is their fifth full-length over that span. Like the previous release, 2014's Blood of Legends, Codex Epicus is full of sweeping, epic heavy metal punctuated by big riffs and bigger drums. Truly, the drumming of Gregory Vlachos is the engine that drives the Battleroar machine forward and it's hard not to get carried away with them. And this comes from someone who is more of a guitar guy. Gerrit Mutz' vocals have never been high on my list and I find his warbling delivery slightly off-putting but after a few spins, just like the last album, they do start to sync up with the music somewhat. Tracks like "We Shall Conquer" and "The Doom of Medusa" stand out and there isn't a bad track on the album. But wait, there's a surprise; Manilla Road's Mark Shelton lends his vocals and guitar to "Sword and the Flame," an awesome, moody song about fighting demons, it is worth buying the album for by itself. I'm not as blown away as I would be for Manilla Road or Atlantean Kodex, but Battleroar are a quality epic heavy metal band and Codex Epicus a solid release.