If there was ever a perfect blend of Power Metal and Death Metal that perfection would be none other than Haarlem Netherland powerhouse SPARTAN. Marching in the standard Phalanx formation of their namesake, these brutal warriors are set to take the world by storm and gain the favor of metalheads worldwide with calculated ferocity. With their original formation being in 2007 SPARTAN now consists of Jeffrey Rademakers on vocals, Pieter Vink and Nick van Beusekom on guitar, Mike van Bekkum on bass and Frank Bos on drums. Although they are from the Netherlands, the members of SPARTAN have a deep love of Greek Mythology and lore. How could they not? The Greeks have won the hearts and minds of people the world over with their rich history, and awe inspiring tales of Gods, Goddesses, and brutal titans which the band has more than effectively translated to the here and now with an epic fusion of Power and Death Metal. SPARTAN released their first E.P. in 2009 titled “For Glory” and the success of that album sent them marching through Holland, and later conquering a good portion of Europe between 2009-2013, where they shared the stage with metal icons such as Marduk, Moonspell, Septicflesh, Negura Bunget, and Rotting Christ. In 2014, they signed an endorsement deal with Dutch guitar makers ‘Serpent King Guitars’ and in 2015 they released their epic album “The Fall Of Olympus” with Into The Limelight Records. 
“The Fall Of Olympus” is one of my favorite albums of all time. The album stuffed with amazing leads, perfectly timed and executed solos, and a fantastic mix of clean and harsh vocals. From the moment the album begins with “The Age Of Man” the phenomal talents of this band are apparent, and the album never loses momentum. No dull moments can be found in its entirety, you will most assuredly be hooked from beginning to end. Back before my days with Metal Nexus when I was merely a fan I saw a video of guitarist Nick van Beusekom just kicking the crap out of his guitar, and decided to ask him just how he had become so great at what he does. His Reply? “Jeffrey Rademaker (Vocals) beats me if I dont practice”. For anyone who knows a thing or or two about history, it definitely falls in line with the traditions of their namesake, and its nice to know that not only do they put out great music, they have a great sense of humor as well! With the success of “The Fall Of Olympus” SPARTAN has now found themselves with their very own beer brew courtesy of ‘Uiltje Brewing Company’ also from Haarlem. To celebrate the birth of this new brew, they will play a show on location at ‘Uiltje Brewing Company’ on December 2nd, 2017. Beer and Metal lovers of the Netherlands will surely not want to miss this once in a lifetime event, and the first 25 tickets sold even come with a free beer! So get your tickets here and go see one of the best kept secrets in metal, I guarantee you will not be disappointed! If you haven’t heard SPARTAN don’t worry, the music video for ‘Elysium’ is included below!
