Diogenes Having grown to love Sonata Arctica’s last album, The Days of Grays, I hoped that the band had finally found a style in which they were comfortable, and that their next album would be a continuation of it; so what if they don’t play power metal anymore? The 2012 single “I Have a Right” effectively dashed my hopes and got me worrying: is that what their new album is going to sound like? POP? It was the complete antithesis of what made The Days of Grays special. And so, I rather tentatively began my listen of Sonata Arctica’s latest, Stones Grow Her Name, not knowing what to expect. It was fitting, in a way, because this album is going to throw people for a loop if they aren’t careful.

First, let’s go over what hasn’t changed, since none of it is really surprising anyway. Stones Grow Her Name marks the fourth album in a row in which Sonata Arctica’s mood is melancholy at best; anyone expecting a return to their earlier days of cheese-infested happy sappy stuff should probably turn elsewhere. Tony Kakko’s lyrics remain unorthodox, but his vocals are as emotional as ever, painting scenes of longing and angst as he crows, whines, and growls his way throughout tracks like “Alone in Heaven” and “The Day”. It’s safe to say that no emotiveness or lyrical creativity is lost, despite some really awful track names (“Shitload of Money?” Wildfires Part II AND III? Come on guys).

As for everything else? It’s all up in the air. After experimenting with a darker, more progressive sound on Unia and solidifying it on The Days of Grays, Sonata Arctica have changed gears yet again to incorporate more straightforward hard rock elements. Elias Viljanen is given much more leeway this time around, playing less of a “support” role than he did on The Days of Grays; good riffs are still hard to come by on this album, but Elias gets more of a chance to show off his chops in the shorter compositions, as well as being generally higher in the mix than before. That’s not to say that keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg is absent, of course; his work in the slower passages of tracks like “The Day” make the songs more than tolerable, despite Sonata Arctica’s reputation for writing really crappy ballads, so that alone would net this album some points.

It’s the experimentation, though, that ultimately makes (or breaks) Stones Grow Her Name. It’s almost as if Sonata Arctica threw all sorts of shit at the wall just to see what would stick. The album begins with a simple power-pop number in “Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)” and ends with perhaps the most complex Sonata Arctica arrangement ever in the two-part “Wildfire” continuation. You’ve got the electronic beats to begin “Shitload of Money” and the banjo in “Cinderblox”. Make no mistake about it; Stones Grow Her Name is far from an album on which every song sounds like the previous one.

Tony Kakko’s creativity has never been in doubt, though; it’s whether the material he writes is any good or not. Stones Grow Her Name has a lot of variety (probably the most of any Sonata Arctica album to date), but it seems as if the band is going through another identity crisis. A lack of direction? Maybe, but that’s what Unia suffered from, and this album is considerably better. Inconsistency within the compositions would describe it better, I would say. It’s not just a “I like Song X, but I don’t like Song Y” sort of thing; the songs themselves are roller coasters, going from striking the perfect emotional chords one minute to wondering where the hell that lovable Finnish cheeseball band went the next. “Shitload of Money,” which is bound to be a controversial track, starts off as boring and cliché, but is saved by a catchy and tasteful clean guitar lick (of all things!), a point at which the track becomes quite enjoyable. Even the sole track that can actually be classified as power metal, “Losing My Insanity,” has its ups and downs, with an infectious chorus offsetting the out-of-place piano intro. The whole thing is just all over the map in terms of how well all of those weird elements work, to a point where choosing standout tracks is almost impossible.

If there’s anything to be drawn from Stones Grow Her Name, it’s that Sonata Arctica are going to keep evolving, and if you don’t like it…then you can just wait for their next album, I guess. This is totally respectable, and the risks they take on this album warrant a few listens, if for no reason other than finding out if you like banjo-metal or not. For the wide spectrum of elements on the album, though, I can’t help but feel that Stones Grow Her Name falls a tad short; it sets out to be an adventure in experimentation, but its inconsistent material falls somewhere in between the directionless disaster of Unia and the vast depth of The Days of Grays. Somewhat disappointing, but at the same time, I can’t tell you if you’ll dig it until you give it a serious listen.

dtguitarfan This band holds a special place in my heart as one of the crossover bands that gave this Progressive Metal lover an appreciation for Power Metal. From the masterful instrumental playing to the voice of Tony Kakko, one of the few male voices I would actually call "beautiful" (though extremely versatile, employing growly angry vocals at times as well), this band rocks my world. Over the last couple ofalbums, Unia and Days of Grays, they have really experimented, to the thrill of some and the sorrow of others. I believe this album shows some of the results of that experimentation - I believe they take some of the lessons learned from this experimenting and apply them to the old, comfortable groove. I won't give a track by track analysis of this, but here are some of the highlights, to me:

Shitload of Money - I had to laugh as I listened to this one. This is raunchy, don't care, "I'm gonna say whatever the *$^#! I want because I have the mic and you don't" Metal and it put a big ol' grin on my face.

Losing My Insanity - I think this is the kind of song fans expect of SA - kind of the classic, "Silence" sound.

I Have a Right - This song reminds me for some reason of "Broken" from Winterheart's Guild. It has the atmospheric, peaceful, keyboard-based sound that they underlay with Elias' heavy rhythm guitars which keeps changing patterns.

The Day - Beautiful. Not sure what else to say about this one, but it's like seeing rays of sunshine streaming through clouds.

Cinderblock - Well, this one is the one everyone will be (and already are) talking about. Like it or hate it, this is the one everyone will have an opinion on. When you hear those banjos, you're going to think "what the...?!" But they fuse styles together to create...um...Hillbilly Metal? No matter what anyone says, it's interesting! I personally love it.

Wildfire, Parts II and III - Now here is where SA really show off their Progressive side. Here's where you're going to hear some tricky, changing rhythms, and a song structure that goes way beyond verse/chorus. I absolutely LOVE these two tracks.

All in all, a great album - I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope you do too!

UMUR "The Scourge of the Light" is the 9th full-length studio album by US power/heavy metal act Jag Panzer. The album was released through SPV/Steamhammer Records in February 2011. Jag Panzer was formed under the Tyrant monicker as far back as 1978. They changed their name to Jag Panzer in their formative years and released their debut full-length studio album "Ample Destruction" in 1984. They weren´t as successful as they had hoped for and lineup changes and other problems meant that the band split in 1988. They reunited again in 1994 and were particularly active in the years 1994 - 2004, releasing seven full-length studio albums in that period. However "The Scourge of the Light" is the first album since "Casting the Stones (2004)" and it looks like it´s also going to be the last as the band called it quits in July 2011.

...if that is true, it´s a crying shame, because the music on this release is high quality US power/heavy metal. The music is vocal/guitar driven with only moderate use of keyboards. The musicianship is brilliant and especially lead vocalist Harry "The Tyrant " Conklin shines throughout. The man has got a set of really powerful pipes. He is fully able to reach the really high notes as well as deliver more raw type singing. The music on the album reminds me a lot of how many US power/progressive metal acts sounded around the end of the eighties. Acts like Queensrÿche, Lethal and Heir Apparent but maybe with a sligthly more traditional heavy metal sound (once or twice I´m reminded of Iron Maiden). In addition to the excellent musicianship and the powerful, clean and well sounding production, the songwriting is also on a high level. The album features both fast-paced power metal tracks like the opening track "Condemned to Fight" and slower epic tracks like the closing track "The Book of Kells", but common for all tracks is that they are hook laden (at times anthemic) and memorable.

To my ears "The Scourge of the Light" is quite the great US power/heavy metal album and a 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

Time Signature Third wish...

Genre: US power metal

I know, I often gripe about the power metal genre and its tendency to be cheesy and kitschy. This does not mean that I dislike power metal as such, and whenever a really cool and interesting power metal band comes along (and, there ARE many of those), my day is pretty much saved.

So, thanks to Order of Nine for saving my day with their latest release "Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror".

Drawing on the more hard-edged aesthetics of US power metal, the tunes on this album are dark and heavy, often entering into power-thrash territory with its aggressive riffage and chucking guitars. There are both epic and melodic elements pulling the music in the other direction (and some of the tracks feature keyboards and other melodic element). The result is a stylistically broad type of power metal that captures the best of both power-thrash and epic power metal. On top of this, Order of Nine have sprinkled a couple of progressive elements. The brilliant "Changing of the Guard" pretty much captures everything that makes this album as interesting as it is.

In a power metal context, perhaps the most unique feature of "Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror" is Michael Degrena's baritone vocals which may take some time getting used to simply because this type of singing is unusual in power metal. But, once his voice clicks with you, hopefully, you should be able to appreciate the important contribution Degrena makes to the unique sound on this album. The musicianship is top notch across the board, and fans of blazing guitar solos especially have something to look forward to.

If you like dark power metal with and unusual vocals, then "Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror" is an album that you simply must not miss out on.

Time Signature What men call metal...

Genre: power-thrash

I've always thought that there should be "power" in power metal, and one of the reasons that I am very critical of the genre (which I otherwise love very much) is that a lot of power metal tends to be cheesy and even goofy in a sort of happy puppy way. The American power metallers in Dark Empire's music is free of power metal cheese, and full of "power" all the way through.

Stylistically, I would say that we are dealing with power-thrash than pure power metal, which is underlined already in the opening track 'A Plague in the Throne Room', which might even be described as more thrash than power metal. Dark Empire not only make use of elements from thrash metal; like Cage and Iron Fire, Dark Empire also incorporate elements from extreme metal into their style, and this is one feature that I welcome. Thus, Dark Empire make use of additional growled vocals, provided by guitarist Matt Moliti, which go well together with main vocalist Brian Larkin's more traditional US power metal vocals. Larkin has a powerful and a kind of raw voice which suits the style of "From Ruin to Refuge" very well.

Dark Empire call their own style 'dark power metal' and that is a quite fitting label, because, although there are thrash, melodeath, and other extreme-metal elements aplenty, the core sound is undeniably power metal, and the genre-defining features are there, such as the grandiose and epic catchy choruses, and an overall epic atmosphere that actually goes well with the album's more aggressive sides. As with Symphony X's brand of power metal, there is progressive twist on "From Refuge to Ruin" in the form of some odd time signatures, the use of some alternative song structures, and some neoclassicisms. However, Dark Empire's style is much more aggressive and less progressive than Symphony X, so do not expect a "Paradise Lost" or an "Iconoclast".

"From Refuge to Ruin" is definitely a great power-thrash album that is rich in dark atmosphere and aggression, yet contains all the elements that make good power metal.

J-Man Of the literally hundreds of excellent metal bands hailing from Sweden, Evergrey is one of my favorites. The band's trademark mix of thrashy power metal, progressive metal, and gothic subtleties gives them a unique identity within the crowded prog metal genre, and the powerful and distinct vocal delivery from Tom Englund never fails to amaze me. On their 1998 debut, The Dark Discovery, the band's morose and edgy progressive power metal sound is firmly established, but it lacks the refinement that made some of their future efforts so outstanding. Evergrey's entrance into the musical world is flawed in many regards, yet the band exhibits a high level of promise that - thankfully - would be fulfilled over the course of their next few observations.

For those unacquainted with Evergrey, this Swedish act performs a style of progressive power metal with a thrashy, American-sounding edge and dark gothic atmospheres. Their sound has moved in a more commercial direction in recent years, but earlier efforts like this one have quite a few progressive overtones. The Dark Discovery is undoubtedly an original album given its time period, and the band's semi-straightforward and morose sound was a refreshing change of pace from the countless Dream Theater and Fates Warning clones that populated the prog metal scene in 1998. Most of the songs here linger in the four to five minute time frame, and these powerful and melodic mini-epics are all really well-composed and quite diverse. Some songs may take a few listens to draw any distinctions between, but a gothic power ballad in the form of "For Every Tear That Falls", for example, helps add some nice variation and memorability to this already solid album. Although the band would take their unique approach to new heights over the next few years, The Dark Discovery is a worthy listen for any fan of Evergrey.

In terms of complaints, the album's real shortcoming is in its tremendously weak production. The guitars sound muddy and unclear, the drums sound distant and blurred, and Tom Englund's otherwise spectacular vocal delivery is obscured by a poor mixing job. This is just a really amateurish sounding album in terms of production and delivery; in addition to the weak production, the band's technical skills weren't quite as sharp as they would soon become either. It's a bit of a shame, actually, because this is a very impressive album from a compositional standpoint. Still, the production does not ruin The Dark Discovery, and its assets are plentiful enough to warrant a listen from any progressive power metal aficionado. Though I'd recommend starting with a masterpiece like In Search of Truth if you're new to the band, The Dark Discovery is a recommended listen to any Evergrey veteran.

RuneWalsh2112 I first became aware of Sonata Arctica back in 2003 when I was in the army serving in the northern Sweden. The local folk, up in the north, are a lot more into melodic music which is why cheesy pop music and melodic metal is especially popular in the northern regions of the world. At first, I wasn't actually much of a fan even though bands that I listened to at the time weren't exactly much different in comparison (i.e. Dream Theater, Rush, Sympony X etc.) even if I wanted to believe that they were.

The snippets of "Silence" and "Ecliptica" that I've got to hear during my 10 month in the service felt very tedious and straining at first but eventually I got off my high horse and began to appreciate the simplicity and high energy that existed in the European Power Metal. It didn't mean that I was completely sold on the whole concept, rather that I was more open-minded about it.

By the time "Reckoning Night" came around I've almost completely forgotten about ever listening to Sonata Arctica but this definitely changed once I've read the highly praising AllMusic review of the album and its creative edge over the band's repertoire up to this point. I basically said why not? ... and purchased the album. The music that I was met with wasn't exactly too different compared to what I previously heard from the band but the major difference was in the fact that the material was a whole lot more consistent compared to their first two releases. The album revealed a lot of the hidden qualities that I have not experienced on any other Power Metal albums until now. I'm referring to the completely gorgeous melodies that weren't necessary cheesy, or at least I didn't see them as such. Most importantly, this particular album didn't feel like junk food --- an analogy that works surprisingly well with most Power Metal albums. Most of the Power Metal albums that I've experienced thus far have all felt like brainless fun that really had no, or very little, consistency to it making them ideal for a spin or two and them dropping them completely off my playlist for many months and sometimes even years!

Simply put, this is one of the few Power Metal albums that managed to click with me. Just like with most other music from this genre, it only works when I'm in that weird kind of mood, but it sure feels great to have a right album for the occasion!

***** star songs: Misplaced (4:42) Ain't Your Fairytale (5:26) White Pearl, Black Oceans... (8:47) Shamandalie (4:04)

**** star songs: Blinded No More (5:33) The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Real Puppet (4:44) My Selene (5:28) Wildfire (4:36) Don't Say A Word (5:49)

** star songs: Reckoning Day, Reckoning Night... (3:21)

RuneWalsh2112 I've explored the band's three early albums in a reversed order due to my late gained appreciation for their music. It's not difficult to see the band that brought us "Reckoning Night" while listening to "Winterheart's Guild", the fast-paced songs are punchy and feature strong melodies while the slower material is easily some of the cheesiest ballads that you'll probably hear on any record. I guess that the biggest difference this time around comes from a guest spot by the Swedish power metal keyboardist Jens Johansson who not only added new instrumental prowess to the otherwise pretty stale song formats that Sonata Arctica had dug themselves into at this point of their career, but also pretty much single-handedly makes compositions like "The Cage" and "Silver Tongue" into the awesome experiences that they are.

One would assume that the departure of the keyboardist Mikko Härkin would have hurt the band a lot since most of their material is very keyboard-driven. The absence of an actual keyboard player is surprisingly not too noticeable since Tony Kakko does a decent job of playing on the less demanding songs while letting Jens Johansson handle the tougher, fast-paced, solos. It's actually these demanding solos that make this album one of the band's most memorable with tracks like "The Cage" and "Victoria's Secret" making up for otherwise a pretty predictable song blueprints. If you're a fan of Power Metal then chances are you're already well familiar with "Winterheart's Guild" since all of the first four Sonata Arctica albums feature solid songwriting and enough excitement in them to make fans of the genre rejoice. To me, this is easily the most significant album that the band have done right after "Reckoning Night" (or before, if you want to follow the chronological order).

***** star songs: The Cage (4:37)

**** star songs: Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited (5:37) Gravenimage (6:58) Silver Tongue (3:58) The Misery (5:08) Victoria's Secret (4:43) Champagne Bath (3:57) Broken (5:18) The Ruins Of My Life (5:14)

*** star songs: Draw Me (9:26)

RuneWalsh2112 It didn't take long for Sonata Arctica to release their sophomore album with more music, improved musicianship while leaving the rest of things in status quo.

The biggest change that was audible on "Silence" (no pun intended) was the addition of new musicians to the band roster. Most importantly, the addition of the keyboard wunderkind Mikko Härkin who single-handidly created the blueprint for the band's fast pace keyboard-dominated sound for many year to come, but also made some fans and critics speculate whether Sonata Arctica could be considered a progressive metal band! Personally, I would never classify this style of strong melodic metal as anything other than pure Power Metal but I would be lying if I completely ignored the fact that the band has a few progressive tendencies in their sound. These tendencies would eventually manifest themselves on great compositions like "White Pearls, Black Oceans..." but now I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Unlike the debut album which featured quite a few classic Sonata Arctica tracks, "Silence" has marginally fewer of such classics but the ones that are here definitely outmatch pretty much anything from "Ecliptica"! Songs like "Weballergy", "Black Sheep", "San Sebastian (Revisited)" and especially "Wolf & Raven" are all big concert favorites that are still constantly in the band's repertoire.

In conclusion, I actually regard "Silence" as the band's true debut album since this was where they actually began to experiment with their sound. The end results might not be as exciting for the true fans of Power Metal, but those who are a bit more open-minded will note that the material that works is actually miles ahead of the amateurish approach that was so striking on "Ecliptica". Things would get marginally better on the next two releases!

***** star songs: Wolf & Raven (4:17)

**** star songs: Weballergy (3:51) False News Travel Fast (5:18) Black Sheep (3:42) San Sebastian (Revisited) (4:37) Revontulet (1:32) Tallulah (5:20) The Power Of One (11:39)

*** star songs: ... Of Silence (1:17) The End Of This Chapter (7:01) Land Of The Free (4:24) Last Drop Falls (5:13) Sing In Silence (3:51)

RuneWalsh2112 This is the music that defined a generation of Scandinavian metal fans of the '00s!

I remember vividly when many of these songs were played in the military barracks up in northern Sweden, these Finnish lads have definitely succeeded in taking us by storm back in 2003/2004. Of course it wasn't a love at first sight for me since I had to struggle in order to actually enjoy Power Metal for simply what it was instead of the lost potential that it sounded like. You see, Power Metal reminds me of a bagel with too much cream cheese. The cheese is so thick that it goes through the hole in the bagel and makes the bagel look more like a cylinder-shaped hat than a food item! But enough of my whining, let's talk about the actual album. "Ecliptica" is, production-wise, a very raw record with both the drums and Kakko's vocals sounding very dated in comparison to the rest of the sound. This is especially interesting considering that the drummer Tommy Portimo and vocalist/front man/composer Tony Kakko have been the only two consistent members of the band!

Luckily, the album is pretty strong in the songwriting department with songs like "My Land", "8th Commandment", "Replica", "Kingdom For A Heart" and especially "FullMoon" still making the band's setlists even to this day. Outside of those tracks and the overall high energy featured all throughout this release, the debut album from Sonata Arctica sounds a bit too much like an ambitious record that might have worked a bit better if it wasn't as jam-packed with accessible brainless candy. What I'm basically saying is that it would have helped to make it more varied in its style.

The whole point of a debut album for a band is to create a powerful collective statement while still not necessary sounding completely certain about the overall direction of the sound/style. That way, you don't put yourself in a corner when it comes to following up on your strong debut statement. The band would eventually strike that perfect balance with the consecutive releases, especially "Reckoning Night", but it would make it completely impossible for them to experiment in other fields, which certainly explains the backlash that Sonata Arctica received with the release of "Unia". More on that in due time!

"Ecliptica" was a good but ultimately very dated release. Most of these songs did eventually get better in a live setting and thus becoming big fan favorites. I'd only recommend exploring this debut album if you're a huge Power Metal fan, but chances are that you've already have!

***** star songs: FullMoon (5:08)

**** star songs: Blank File (4:05) My Land (4:37) 8th Commandment (3:41) Replica (4:55) Kingdom For A Heart (3:51) Picturing The Past (3:36) Destruction Preventer (7:44)

**** star songs: Letter To Dana (6:00) UnOpened (3:43)

adg211288 Crimen Excepta is the fourth full-length album from Polish female fronted heavy/power metal band Crystal Viper. Crimen Excepta is one of a few albums I’ve taken note of from early 2012 that fits the style of heavy and/or power metal with female vocals that aren’t in the operatic style commonly associated with female-fronted metal, the others being releases from Sweden’s Hysterica, and USA’s Huntress and A Sound of Thunder. Hysterica and Huntress have produced really excellent albums with The Art of Metal and Spell Eater respectively while A Sound of Thunder sounds very promising with Out of the Darkness. Crystal Viper adds to the growing pile of high quality female fronted metal releases of 2012 that stand for more traditional values in metal. If Crimen Excepta and the other albums are anything to go by, then I predict that female fronted so call ‘true’ metal (well, heavy and power metal to be more accurate) is going become very big and very soon.

Although I’ve seen Crystal Viper mostly associated as a traditional heavy metal band, Crimen Excepta has a good deal to do with power metal as well, more so than it does heavy metal really, the guitar driven power metal that is, not the keyboard laden type. It’s easy to hear leanings towards both styles though, especially with the trad the leanings that are towards the sound of the NWoBHM. I don’t find it hard to imagine Iron Maiden doing some of these tracks actually, and Crystal Viper is clearly cut from the same sort of cloth; memorable riffs, strong vocals, and good soloing. I’ve encountered the band’s music before but only their debut album, and I think they’re definitely evolved a lot in the relatively few years between that and Crimen Excepta.

Maybe I should get my only real issue out of the way before I get any further, and this is the part where I question the need to place a short interlude track as every other track on the album. They are so short that they don’t really add anything; they only feel like they’re there really to give the listen the briefest of breathers before the band throw their next heavy/power metal anthem at them. I guess it that respect they’ve effective enough, but between every track? That’s most definitely overkill as far as I’m concerned but if you look beyond my current negative tone and consider that this is my only real complaint about the album then you’ll realise that we’re talking an excellent release.

While I wouldn’t say it breaks any moulds, Crystal Viper is one of those bands that do what they do so well that I can’t help but consider it worthy of the higher tiers of ratings that I give to albums. The opening track Witch's Mark sets the pace and level of quality with the fast paced riffs and frankly awesome vocals from Marta Gabriel that will have you in the zone for the rest of the album by the time the chorus hits. While one might consider it samey the album isn’t really long to get stale, clocking in at just under the forty-five minute mark without bonus tracks.

That’s not to say we don’t get treated to a few surprises. Keyboards get used in some places to add additional flavours to the sound, and in a move that goes against the norm for current metal music, they aren’t used in a symphonic manner, but rather to add an eerie layer to the sound that fits in perfectly with Marta Gabriel and Andy Wave’s pounding guitars, not to mention the album’s concept of inquisition, black magic and witches. David Bower from resurrected NWoBHM band Hell also pops up for what I hope will be a well received guest appearance during the title track, bring with him the theatrical vocals that made Hell’s Human Remains so special in 2011. His and Marta Gabriel’s voices work together really well actually.

It’s true that a couple of the tracks, such as Hope Is Gone, Here's New Law, aren’t quite up to the standard of the album’s best offerings such as Witch’s Mark, the title track and It's Your Omen, but we’re talking generally well crafted heavy/power metal tracks with all the aspects of a great classic metal sound covered. It’s a highly enjoyable affair.

Crimen Excepta is an impressive slab of heavy/power metal which I’m sure will fuel the seemingly growing market for female fronted acts in this style. It’s most definitely an album that you should be getting your hands on if the style of any of the other acts I’ve mentioned in this review appeals to you, or of much longer established artists such as Doro. But with a classic metal sound like this no metalhead should really go wrong with Crimen Excepta. All the songs are fast paced and true to the classic metal sounds and credentials of the 80’s.

9.1/10

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))

RuneWalsh2112 I've been back and forth when it comes to my opinion of "To The Metal!". At first I actually thought that this album was even worse than "Majestic" with tracks like "All You Need To Know", "Mother Angel" and especially "To The Metal" seem to bring up all of the least interesting/enjoyable qualities in Gamma Ray music for me. Luckily the album began to steadily grow on me and after 20+ spins I can honestly say that "To The Metal!" is one of the band's best records in quite some time.

Unlike most of the previous efforts, this record is composed of a mixed set of tracks that don't actually have much in common with one another, except maybe for the fact that the majority of them are composed by Kai Hansen. Actually, come to think of it, not even this 'so called' fact is a given anymore since both Henjo Richter and Dan Zimmermann have been steadily contributing to the songwriting over the years. This time only half of the tracks have been penned by Hansen and the godfather of Power Metal still has a strong grip on his title with tracks like "All You Need To Know" and "Deadlands" clearly having a punch to them. The problem is that Hansen hasn't exactly been challenging himself as a writer, hence most of his works sound exactly like you would expect them to. Personally that never really bothered me since Hansen's work has a distinct sound to them which is a nice thing and I'll keep it at that.

The thing that does kind of ring a warning bell is the fact that these five compositions aren't anywhere near some of his best work, especially the album's title track which is a blatant Judas Priest rip-off and is easily this album's single worst moment. Luckily, Richter and Zimmermann are once again here to back up Hansen and deliver some of this album's strongest moments like "Time To Live", "Rise" and "Chasing Shadows". All of these tracks are fast-paced, melodic and feature powerful head-banging moments in them that are well worth experiencing!

The album closes on a somewhat unexpected note with the "No Need To Cry". Composed and sung by Dirk Schlächter, this track is clearly meant to be this album's "Lake Of Tears" but the melody and lyrics really make this track one of Gamma Ray's most pretentious pieces. I'm not even gonna talk about the eclectic middle section that completely sounds out of place with the rest of the composition.

Overall, "To The Metal!" is not a perfect record but it does feature enough memorable moments to make me feel nostalgic for the band's classic years (in mid '90s). As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, this is easily the best Gamma Ray record in years and it really brings me a shred of hope that the band will be able to continue making solid Power Metal records even into their 50's!

***** star songs: Rise (5:06) Chasing Shadows (4:23)

**** star songs: Empathy (5:03) All You Need To Know (4:00) Time To Live (4:46) Mother Angel (5:20) Shine Forever (3:53) Deadlands (4:23)

*** star songs: To The Metal (5:30) No Need To Cry (5:52)

RuneWalsh2112 After taking Scandinavia by storm with "No World Order" there was definitely a hope on my part that Gamma Ray would be able to achieve a streak of strong releases. In retrospect it seems that this hope was not fulfilled by the band as "Majestic" was a completely different beast that, in reality, was a wolf in sheep's clothes!

I vividly remember being excited after reading the announcement of the new Gamma Ray album and I pretty much bought the record on its release date. Unfortunately I felt quite disappointed after my first spin of the album since I didn't feel like any of the compositions felt powerful nor memorable enough. The heavy metal sound of the previous album was no longer there and what we've got instead was a heavier and less melodic power metal album that was trying to play on both fronts without actually achieving success in any of the departments.

What I didn't realize back then was the fact that this record was closer to the style presented on the "Powerplant" record and this was actually a return to the band's Power Metal roots. At the same time, there was a certain heaviness to these compositions that made them stand out in comparison to the past material but the overall sound was still lacking a punch to it. The first three tracks ("My Temple", "Fight" and "Strange World") are all pretty decent Power Metal tracks that fit in with the expectations that a casual Power Metal fan can have on his/her brew of the genre but this is certainly far from the excellence that Gamma Ray have been capable of in the past!

"Hell Is Thy Home" is where this record begins to truly lose me since the chorus melody reminds me too much of the U2 anthem "Sunday Bloody Sunday", even though Kai Hansen does his best to hide this notion in his vocal delivery. "Blood Religion" is considered somewhat of a fan favorite but I'm not that enthusiastic about the track since it's pretty much a reprise of every anthem from every previous Gamma Ray album presented in a new shining package. Luckily all hope is not lost since "Majestic" actually has one unique asset that has been absent on all the previous Gamma Ray records, namely an excellent mid album section! "Condemned To Hell" and especially "Spiritual Dictator" are easily the biggest highlights that the record has to offer, the latter is the closest this album comes to the sound of "No World Order"! Incidentally, I just noticed that both songs are composed by Dan Zimmermann, making it another triumph on his part.

The final three tracks are the weakest of the bunch where "Majesty" sees the band trying to replicate the Iron Maiden formula from "Powerslave", but instead sound forced and uninspired. "How Long" really begs the question of how much more there is left of this album and how soon will we get something interesting to sink our teeth into? "Revelation" finally closes the album on a pleasant but somewhat tedious note due to the fact that the track is 8+ minutes long without actually having a purpose for being this long.

"Majestic" is, in my opinion, the weakest of the Kai Hansen-fronted recordings so far! I place the blame on Hansen's inability to deliver the goods in the song writing department. Having said that, I still think that even a weak Gamma Ray album is better than any of the average albums that are produced by their peers. Let's just hope that the band can get some new muse that would inspire then to write new quality material in the future.

**** star songs: My Temple (4:58) Fight (3:25) Strange World (5:03) Blood Religion (6:55) Condemned To Hell (4:56) Spiritual Dictator (5:41) Revelation (8:30)

*** star songs: Hell Is Thy Home (4:45) Majesty (6:25) How Long (4:06)

RuneWalsh2112 After a one year break where Kai Hansen concentrated on his side project Iron Savior, the band assembled once again in the studio to record "No World Order". It was clear that Hansen wasn't interested on following the same route as he did with the previous trilogy of albums, instead he took inspiration from his idols of the NWoBHM movement and carved together some of the heaviest tracks that Gamma Ray has even conceived.

Unfortunately for Kai, the rest of the band weren't really in the same frame of mind as him while writing for the album, thus "No World Order" still has quite a few traditional Power Metal moments. This fact actually works surprisingly well in the record's favor. Just the fact that it was the record that drew me to Gamma Ray and thus the whole Power Metal movement back in 2001 is clearly a testament to the record's chameleon quality. A perfect gateway Power Metal album, if you will!

To me, this album also clearly marks the moment when Dan Zimmermann finally came into his own as a songwriter who could challenge and sometimes even outmatch the band's great frontman. Songs like "Dethrone Tyranny" and especially "Damn The Machine" are two of my all time favorite Gamma Ray tracks, both composed by Zimmermann! Henjo Richter also contributes two of the album's great classics "Follow Me" and the mighty power ballad "Lake Of Tears". These four Power Metal tracks are combined with six Traditional Heavy Metal tracks from Kai Hansen (+one excellent intro track) was a lethal combination for my young teenage mind back in the day, hence the record got some heavy rotation in my collection!

Fortunately I wasn't the only one who got under the Gamma Ray spell here in Scandinavia since the album reached some of the band's highest chart positions both here in Sweden and also in Finland. The two nations were clearly taken by storm which also paved way for all the consecutive chart records for Gamma Ray. I highly recommend "No World Order" to both fans of Power Metal and NWoBHM since both parties have something to gain here.

Easily one of the better albums that the Power Metal genre has to offer!

***** star songs: Induction (1:00) Dethrone Tyranny (4:14) Damn The Machine (5:04)

**** star songs: The Heart Of The Unicorn (4:48) Heaven Or Hell (4:19) New World Order (5:03) Solid (4:23) Fire Below (5:34) Follow Me (4:43) Eagle (6:05) Lake Of Tears (6:47)

Time Signature Win...

Genre: power metal

To be honest, I think that X Factor contestants are best off forgotten - and, well, most of them do fade from the limelight drift into oblivion faster than the double bassdrums in an old Helloween song.

However, every now and then a truly remarkable contestant pops up and deserves all the attention they can get. Denmark's X Factor had Oliver Weers, who was famously kicked out for being too good, only to be offered a contract with a hard rock label and now has a career as a musician that most other X Factor contestants - even winners - can only envy. Norway's X Factor had Per Fredrik Åsly (aka. PelleK) performing power metal songs on X Factor (yes, as you can imagine this is pretty much unheard of), making it to the top 12, and now he has a career as an album releasing musician.

His latest album "Bag of Tricks" is his first release on the metal-oriented label Liljegren Records and, true to who PelleK is, it is a tour de force in European power metal. The songs are big and epic, the way Euro power metal should be, and features chucking guitars and pounding double bass drums. The vocal melodies are catchy and the choruses memorable, allowing PelleK to showcase his clear and powerful singing voice.

The epic aspect of this album cannot be underestimated, and many of the songs are boosted by symphonic synth effects - at times taking on an almost cinematic character. While this works for me most of the time, I do think that the synths become too dominant, and some of the ballads do strike me as being a bit too cheesy for my taste, such as 'Born in Babylon', 'Don't Belong' and 'Send My Message Home'.

PelleK is obviously a very talented singer, and, with Tommy ReinXeed taking care of virtually everything else, You can expect the musicianship to be no less than super professional, and especially the guitar solos are blazing and shreddy, yet often melodic and always biiig.

While a tad too cheesy for my taste in several places, I recognize that "Bag of Tricks" is a quality Euro power metal-album that has all the things that fans of the genre love. And, as mentioned, it does contain several elements that appeal to me as well. Fans of ReinXeed and Sonata Arctica should definitely give this album a listen.

Time Signature Death comes to all...

Genre: power metal

One out of no less than three ReinXeed-related releases to see the light of day this summer, Charlie Shred's eponymous debut-album is a true power-metal-fest which, although rooted in the European variety of power metal is pleasantly low on cheese but still full of melody.

While there are indeed keyboards and other effects associated with the cheesy end of power metal, Charlie Shred nonetheless retain the "power" in power metal, as they include a considerable influence from traditional heavy metal in form of old school razor sharp riffs which accompany the chucking power metal figures and the big and catchy choruses. Just check a track like 'Panic', the slightly heavy 'The Rose', or the aggressive hard rocker 'Tainted Inside'. Other tracks, like 'Death comes to All', 'Game Over', and 'Time To Die' are on the verge of being speed metal tracks with the two latter featuring riot-friendly shout-along choruses.

With people like Calle Sundberg, Mattias Johansson, and Tommy Reinxeed in the line-up, the musicianship is of course impeccable. And you can expect dazzlingly blazing guitar solos, well written tunes and a crisp and pristine production.

Charlie Shred's debut album contains the kind of power metal I like. It is big and catchy with epic elements, yet it has a lot of edge to it and the only cheese served is low fat diet cheese. Fans of both power metal and traditional metal should definitely give this album a listen.

Time Signature Save us...

Genre: Euro power metal

Well aware that Reinxeed's music belongs to that branch of über cheesy Euro power metal that just does not sit well with me, I decided to give the latest album a change. After all, I was kind of positively surprised by "1912". However, this one is so cheesy that it definitely cannot be good for my cholesterol count. Still, there is something about it that I kind of like.

The main theme of the album is the cinema, and thus the songs are inspired by Hollywood box office breakers and blockbusters. For instance, 'Life Will Find a Way' seems to be about the dinosaurs of the Jurassic Park series, while follow me is full of references to The Force and other things Star Wars. 'Save Us' is about the X-Men, and - not surprisingly - 'Stranger Tides' is inspired by 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and 'Somewhere in Time' is not an Iron Maiden cover song, but a song about Marty McFly and Doc Brown's adventures in their time-traveling DeLorean. 'Freedom', I presume, is inspired by the Braveheart movie, and 'No Fate' deals with the age-old theme of man versus machine (I am not sure exactly which movies it refers to, but references to Judgment Day would seem to indicate that it might be the Terminator series). 'Temple of the Crystal Skulls'... well, Indiana Jones fans will figure this one out. 'Welcome to the Theare' offers a potpourri of references to various Hollywood classics.

With such a main theme, the music can only be epic and cinematic. Rather than using a real orchestra, this effect is achieved through midi- and synth effects. Unfortunately, this ends up sounding artificial and, along with Tommy Reinxeed's voice and vocal melodies, a major generator of cheese. Musically, we are dealing with almost stereotypical Euro power metal with pounding bass drums, big epic choruses, and an overall larger-than-life air. Overall, this is kind of a turn-off for me.

Or it should be, because there are a couple of songs that really blew me away on this release. I really like the over-the-top epic swashbuckler 'Stranger Tides', which, in my book, counts as a proper pirate metal song. 'Somewhere in Time' - mega epic as it is - also features a lot of good stuff and manages to actually evoke the atmosphere of the movies. I also like the heavier 'No Fate' which is based on a chucking and galloping riff, and, despite a level of cheesiness that rivals the infamous Five Cheese Pizza, I actually like 'Temple of the Crystal Skulls'. Also, there are plenty of good things in most of the songs on the album, such as the uplifting Euro power metal energy - which really works, when it works, and here it works - and Tommy Reinxeed's sublime guitar solos.

So, even for me who does not normally like cheesy power metal, this album has something to offer. It's too much cheese and too little pepperoni for me in one go, but I can definitely enjoy this album a slice at the time.

In all "Welcome to the Theatre" is an extremely cheesy power metal release (and deliberately so, I think), whose epic air almost matches that of the movies which it is inspired by. If you do not like Euro power power metal, you will absolutely hate this release, but fans of Euro power metal and symphonic metal should absolutely adore this release.

Time Signature Bring the hammer down...

Genre: power metal / traditional metal

Evolving around guitarist Stu Marshall, Empires of Eden is one of those multi-vocalist project that populate the power metal universe these days, and thus "Channelling the Infinite" features several legendary metal vocalists, including Sean Peck, Rob Rock, and the legendary Udo Dirkschneider.

Musically, we are dealing with a blend of more US-oriented power metal and more traditional metal, incorporating elements from different subgenres of power metal, such as symphonic power metal ('Born a King'), power-thrash ('Channelling the Infinite'), and melodic power metal ('Lions for Lambs') as well as Euro power metal albeit the non-cheesy kind ('World on Fire'). Other tracks are pretty much straight up old school heavy metal tracks, such as 'Cry Out', 'Hammer Down', 'This Time', and 'Your Eyes' - but all with the big epic and catchy choruses of power metal.

The musicianship is impeccable, and Stu Marshall's guitar playing is breathtakingly impressive, and all the vocalists do phenomenal jobs. The most notable singing performance is Udo Dirkschneider, who graces 'Hammer Down' with his unique voice, which is as shrill and powerful as ever. There is also an all-star version of the song with all vocalists singing, but I prefer the Udo-only version.

"Channelling the Infinite" is a massive power metal effort - it is epic and catchy and impressive in any way and should appeal to fans of traditional metal and power metal alike.

RuneWalsh2112 The third release of the Kai Hansen-fronted Gamma Ray sees the band continuing on their trail of conceptual Power Metal albums. But unlike "Land Of The Free" or "Somewhere Out In Space", which both featured many memorable moments without actually having any actual singles in the cannon, "Powerplant" seems to invest most of its stakes on a few compositions while leaving other parts of the album seem a bit uninspired. Overall it's still a pretty solid effort by the band that have slowly began to lose some of their momentum after two very strong releases. Great melodies and enthusiastic playing are very much in place but they lack the overall consistency of the previous efforts.

The first three songs are the album's strongest tracks with "Anywhere In The Galaxy" being an excellent opener followed but "Razorblade Sign" and "Send Me A Sign", both being strong but somewhat unusual compositions in Gamma Ray's repertoire. "Strangers In The Night" could be a tribute to the classic Saxon track, but you wouldn't think it while listening to this Power Metal track. The reason for my theory comes from the Biff Byford-inspired vocals featured on "Heavy Metal Universe" where Kai sings the line "masters of the thunder" just like Biff did on "Heavy Metal Thunder".

Unlike the previous albums, that have been re-released with a few cover tracks, "Powerplant" features a cover on the actual album of Pet Shop Boys' "It's A Sin". I used to enjoy this cover a lot earlier but now I, more often than not, press then skip button. "Heavy Metal Universe" is a fun little metal tribute track that doesn't actually bring much to the album but it's nice to hear that Gamma Ray are humble to their roots. "Wings Of Destiny" is a pretty weird track due to it's bombast intro which then transforms into a completely different rhythm during the verse sections while the chorus line is ridiculously out of place... somehow it still makes me enjoy it even more due to all its flaws.

"Hand Of Fate" and "Armageddon" are good closing numbers which unfortunately drag on for too long but, when I think about it, most of the tracks on this album are at least a minute too long for their own good. Still, it's not something that Gamma Ray are about to change any time soon.

Overall, "Powerplant" is slightly weaker than two of its predecessors but I still enjoy listening to it on occasion. If you've loved "Land Of The Free" and "Somewhere Out In Space" then this is definitely the next obvious step for you. Otherwise I'd skip right on to "No World Order", but more on that soon!

**** star songs: Anywhere In The Galaxy (6:37) Razorblade Sigh (5:01) Send Me A Sign (4:06) Strangers In The Night (6:03) Gardens Of The Sinner (5:56) Heavy Metal Universe (5:24) Wings Of Destiny (6:25) Hand Of Fate (6:11) Armageddon (8:49)

*** star songs: Short As Hell (3:57) It's A Sin (4:58)

RuneWalsh2112 Gamma Ray could pretty much do no wrong after the release of "Land Of The Free" and so they decided to continue exploring the same ol' themes but this time with the addition of a loose cosmic storyline embedded into the arc.

Unlike it's predecessor, this release doesn't waste any time on prolonged epic openings and instead jumps straight into action with "Beyond The Black Hole". This is exactly how a great Power Metal record should start in my opinion, another great example of a memorable opening is "Misplaced" on Sonata Arctica's "Reckoning Night". Things get a bit more stale with "Men, Martians And Machines" but the great streak of "No Stranger", the title track and "Guardians Of Mankind" really more than makes up for any loss of momentum. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is a bit more shaky with quite a few moments that don't quite manage to hit melodic and rhythmic nerve with me. There are of course a few exceptions to the statement with the great "Valley Of The Kings", somewhat long but still highly enjoyable "The Winged Horse" and "Watcher In The Sky", which was co-written by Piet Sielck and was release a few month prior by his band Iron Savior.

The bottom line is that "Somewhere Out In Space" is another great album from Hansen and his band. There aren't any real surprises here, but why would you want to ruin a perfect formula? A great album well worth your time!

***** star songs: Beyond The Black Hole (6:00) Somewhere Out In Space (5:27) Valley Of The Kings (3:50)

**** star songs: No Stranger (Another Day In Life) (3:35) The Guardians Of Mankind (5:01) Pray (4:45) The Winged Horse (7:02) Watcher In The Sky (5:18) Rising Star (0:52) Shine On (6:52)

*** star songs: Men, Martians And Machines (3:52) The Landing (1:17) Cosmic Chaos (0:48) Lost In The Future (3:40)

RuneWalsh2112 I consider myself somewhat of a Gamma Ray fan since I owned "No World Order" and "Majestic" in my collection for years. Eventually, around 2006, I decided to give "Land Of The Free" a proper listen, seeing that it was the band's biggest hit to date. Unfortunately this was when my personal tastes started to deviate from Power Metal sound and I never really give the album it's proper time.

Skip to 2012 and the year where I finally began to embrace Kai Hansen's Helloween-era material. Helloween has never been my favorite Power Metal act but that all changed when I heard their debut EP and "Walls Of Jerico", showing a completely different side of Hansen and the band that I was finally able to embrace. Skip a few weeks later, where I revisited "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" albums and the two Gamma Ray albums that I own, and I was finally ready to give "Land Of The Free" a chance to rediscover itself!

The first spin was not really as enjoyable as I wanted them to be, but this soon changed once I moved on to "Somewhere Out In Space" which managed to give its predecessor a whole new perspective! The two albums are pretty similar in their songwriting, with lyrical themes being their most distinctive features, but somehow I found "Somewhere Out In Space" much more accessible with well defined melodies, lyrics and instrumental sections. Ultimately "Land Of The Free" definitely managed to win me over in almost all of the mentioned categories and thus becoming my favorite release from the band!

The opening 9 minute opus "Rebellion In Dreamland" is probably the main reason of why it took me such a long time to digest this album. It might be considered a classic from the band but I honestly don't enjoy it all too much and think that it's far from a perfect album opener. Just compare it to the "Somewhere Out In Space" opener "Beyond The Black Hole" and you'll know what I mean! The rest of the album flows on by pretty smoothly, except maybe for "Salvation's Calling" which I personally prefer to skip through due to its bland and repetitive chorus. Some of my favorites include "Man On A Mission" with its obligatory followup "Fairytale", "All Of The Damned", slightly cheesy but very appropriate ballad "Farewell", the magnificent title track, "Abyss Of The Void" and "Time To Break Free" with Michael Kiske on lead vocals!

As you might tell there isn't really much space for filler here, which is probably why the album has become the great Power Metal classic that it is.

***** star songs: Man On A Mission (5:48) All Of The Damned (5:01) Land Of The Free (4:37) Abyss Of The Void (6:03)

**** star songs: Rebellion In Dreamland (8:44) Fairytale (0:49) Rising Of The Damned (0:43) Gods Of Deliverance (5:01) Farewell (5:11) The Saviour (0:40) Time To Break Free (4:40) Afterlife (4:46)

*** star songs: Salvation's Calling (4:35)

RuneWalsh2112 I pretty much lost my interest for Helloween after the departure of Kai Hansen and even through I did give "The Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" a few chances, both of those records left me feeling very unsatisfied with the band's lack of memorable compositions and prominent vocalist who could match the magnificent Michael Kiske. Luckily some of this had changed with the release of "The Dark Ride". For the first time in many years the band finally returned to the pure Power Metal style that they were known for in the past.

After the short intro we get the album's second single "Mr. Torture" ("If I Could Fly" being the first one) and it's quite a memorable track in its own right! Michael Weikath definitely shows that his love for fast songs is not dead with "All Over The Nations", and "Salvation", two of the only tracks that were written by him on this album(!). Marcus Grosskopf is also surprisingly absent in the songwriting department with his only credit making an appearance among the bonus tracks. Instead it's Andi Deris who makes the most contributions to the material with half of the tracks listed under his name! This could possibly explain the enthusiasm that his vocal performance contributes to the material and thus making it the first great achievement after three less impressive albums with Helloween!

Having said all that, I find Uli Kusch's contribution of "Mr. Torture" and, the album's biggest highlight, "The Departed" to be the most impressive of the bunch. "The Dark Ride" was the album where all the (relatively) new members of the band showed they were just as capable in the songwriting as they are in the instrumental departments and thus achieving a new renaissance for the band! The journey to achieving former greatness was still far away but now, more than ever since "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II", it finally seemed possible for the band to return and even surpass their glorious past. Having said that, "The Dark Ride" is still merely a step in the right direction and it would probably need a few more albums before all the gears would be properly set in motion.

I feel that most of Andi Deris's compositions are still not on par with the rest of the collective and there aren't really any real standout moments in the mix either (even though "The Departed" does come close). Instead we get a well balanced comeback album that serves as a great demo for the potential glory that may lay ahead if Helloween continues to sharpen their songwriting.

**** star songs: Beyond The Portal (0:45) Mr. Torture (3:27) All Over The Nations (4:54) Escalation 666 (4:24) Salvation (5:42) The Departed (Sun Is Going Down) (4:36) We Damn The Night (4:06) Immortal (4:04) The Dark Ride (8:48)

*** star songs: Mirror, Mirror (3:43) If I Could Fly (4:09) I Live For Your Pain (3:59)

RuneWalsh2112 I must admit that my initial reaction to "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II" was a bit skeptical. How were Helloween be able to make this a worth a while follow-up to their breakthrough classic from the previous year? Well, they both did and didn't succeed on making this release stand out on it's own.

The record has pretty much the same outline as the previous one featuring a short intro followed by the first hard hitting power metal classic (Eagle Fly Free). A few songs later we come to the album's centerpiece in the shape of the lengthy 10+ composition which is then rounded off by an additional track.

This time around the intro section is a lot better with both the short intro and "Eagle Fly Free" being more preferable to me than "Initiation" and "I'm Alive". Unfortunately the album loses some of It's initial advantage due to the fact that both "You Always Walk Alone" and "Rise And Fall" sound like filler to my ears. "Dr.Stein" returns the record back on track, even though it's still in a disadvantage compared to "Twilight Of The Gods" from the previous record. After another filler track, we finally come to the two centerpieces of this album. "March In Time" and "I Want Out" were both penned by Kai Hansen and clearly show how much potential this album had if only Hansen had a bigger role in the production of the remainder of the material.

Unlike the last time, I actually find the lengthy track to be lacking in execution. It just always felt to me that the track of such epic proportion should have been a lot more pompous. Instead it's a good composition that just doesn't sound like a classic that I would have liked it to be. It certainly is strong in it's own right but does not match the mighty "Halloween". To it's credit, it definitely doesn't try to rehash the formula which, I guess, should speak in its favor but I just can't generate enough love towards the final product. "Save Us" is another great Hansen track but it ultimately doesn't add anything new to the album as a whole. Some might argue that "Save Us" is just a bonus track that was tide into the album but, to me, it brings almost the same emotions as the ones I get when I listen to "White Feather" after just experiencing "Childhoods End?" on Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood". It certainly sounds like a better ending than "Follow The Sign" but that's an unfair comparison simply because "Follow The Sign" was more of a premonition of the things to come.

Overall, "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II" is certainly a classic in its own right but I lack the overall feeling of quality that existed on Helloween's two first records and the marvelous EP. Definitely give it a go if you've played the first three records to death.

***** star songs: Eagle Fly Free (5:10) March Of Time (5:15)

**** star songs: Invitation (1:07) Dr. Stein (5:05) I Want Out (4:41) Keeper Of The Seven Keys (13:37) Save Us (5:13)

*** star songs: You Always Walk Alone (5:10) We Got The Right (5:08)

** star songs: Rise And Fall (4:22)

Time Signature Inner monster out...

Genre: heavy/power/groove metal

Apparently having changed their musical direction from a more traditional power metal sound to heavier and groovier sound, Brazilian metallers Shadowside deliver something in between groove metal, modern metal and power metal on their third album "Inner Monster Out".

Most tracks draw on heavy and groovy riffage, combining them with compelling vocal melodies and, at times, elements from modern pop music, Shadowside have certainly created music which should have broad appeal inside and outside of the metal community. Granted, personally, I find the more poppy elements a bit of a turn-off, but the heavy grooves and Dani Nolden's powerful voice more than make up for that (just check out a track like 'In the Name of Love' or a track like 'Inner Monster Out' or 'I'm Your Mind'). While the overall sound is more akin to modern melodic metal, the band retain the epic choruses associated with power metal.

The musicianship is top notch, and the production is clean and crisp with a very modern edge. As mentioned, Singer Dani Nolden has a very powerful voice, and I should also mention that the guitar solos are pretty impressive and technically advanced.

Shadowside have been accused of sounding like something that would come out of the stereo of a teenage wannabe metalhead. Well, I'm in my thirties, I don't have a stereo (iPod's my choice), and I am definitely not wannabe, and still I think this album is pretty damn good.

optisailor2002 With the recent spate of weak releases under Tobias Sammet, including 2008's Tinnitus Sanctus and the recent Avantasia double album - The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon, each album marking his move towards AOR and mainstream hard rock, expectations were pretty low for their recent release, Age of the Joker, even though Edguy has always remained one of my favourite power metal bands, being one of the first bands that I listen to in my foray into metal proper. Despite so, the band has not given up their reputation as one of the most fun-loving bands, with this album seeing them simply taking the jester as their mascot, placed proudly smack in the middle of the album artwork.

While Age of the Joker is no return to their original Helloween-inspired power metal form, it is certainly an improvement from their previous album, Tinnitus Sanctus, and the music sounds more in the veins of 2006's Rocket Ride (say what you want, but this has managed to make it as one of my favourite Edguy albums), with more progressive elements included. Opening track Robin Hood is a perfect example of the style that will be on the rest of the album, and reminds listeners of what could have come from the Rocket Ride album, a sleek heavy metal/hard rock fusion, melodic and catchy at the same time. But the progressive elements really come in during the later tracks where influences ranging from folk to blues are spotted. For example, songs like Nobody's Hero incorporate some thrashy riffs, Rock of Cashel includes some folk metal moments that would sound fit on an Eluveitie album and Pandora's Box makes it sound like a modern/power metal take on blues music, with the usage of the dobro. Of course, there are also the usual heavy and faster numbers like Breathe and Faces in the Darkness, along with the slower and emotional ballads like Every Night Without You that the band are known for.

One thing that is immediately obvious is that Tobias Sammet no longer pushes his vocal range as often as he does like on albums such as Hellfire Club, but his raspy vocal styles are still instantly recognisable. The usage of backup vocalists to harmonise Tobias' lead vocals help to make a fuller experience as well. Also, the keyboards Sascha Paeth seems to play a big role throughout the album, with many tracks being shrouded by the ambient/atmosphere provided by the keyboards. There are even moments which are heavily keyboard-driven like on The Arcane Guild, yet managing to not sound overly cheesy. The trademark guitar solos of Jens Ludwig remain as usual, between melodic and emotional ones and those that display finger acrobatics, while rhythm guitarist Dirk provides the background for his performance. Usage of such instruments as the hammond organ also keep things interesting.

Of course, the tongue-in-cheek moments are still present, and one just has to watch the music video of Robin Hood to ascertain this. Furthermore, songs like Two out of Seven incorporate lyrics like "What the fuck | Suck my cock", reminding the Edguy fan that this is still Edguy, with their dirty mind and funny lyrics, though admittedly, the sudden inclusion of that line definitely spoiled the moment a little.

Age of the Joker, if compared against the works that Edguy has presented throughout the 90s and early 00s, would certainly be considered a weak effort. However, looking at the direction that Tobias has been heading with recent releases of his bands and projects, Age of the Joker definitely stands as a good album on its own, and is recommended for people looking for a good record to sing along to, but not for the fan looking for an Edguy returning to 90s form.

Originally written for http://www.heavymetaltribune.com/

progshine Dragonforce is the perfect band for the 00 generation, the generation that already born with computers and cell phones.

Why I say that? Simple! Sonic Firestorm and all their discography, is like a computer joke, a Ctrl+C Ctrl+V in every well known song by every well known power metal band from the 90's, but of course, with a little 'speed' up, cause you know, it's like a picture nowadays, withouth Photoshop it's not a real picture. Way more cool if it's really fast.

It's funny how in the end of the day, great 70's musicians like Ritchie Blackmore turn out to be the 80's Yngwie Malmsteens and they became Stratovarius and Gamma Rays in the 90's and were followed by Dragonforce in 00's.

It would be really funny if it wouldn't really tragic.

adg211288 Twilights of Sand is the ninth studio album from Italian power metal band Skylark. The 2012 album marks the band’s first studio album to be released since 2007’s Divine Gates Part 3: The Last Gate. It’s also the first album to feature the vocals of new lead singer Ashley. Ashley is the group’s third lead singer, but only the second female singer, as the group was for a long time a male fronted act (and then a dual male/female fronted act, then finally just a female fronted act). Although I’ve been aware of Skylark for some time now, Twilights of Sand marks my first encounter with their music.

Based on this album, it may also be my last. That’s not to say that overall the album lacks anything to be praised, it does have a few positive aspects to it but the problem here is that nothing seems to be coming together very well on any level. First off the album gets off on completely the wrong foot with the symphonic introductory track The Tears of Jupiter. As far as intros go it isn’t too bad, with a mix of spoken words and actual singing, so it does have a bit more effort put into it than most intro tracks. The problem with it is not that it feels so introductory, as far as those go it has credibility, but because the symphonic sound does nothing for me. It sounds synthetic, in that it’s there because it can be there, sort of thing. There’s nothing epic about it in the slightest.

But enough about a track that doesn’t even last two minutes. The next track, Tobe! Glendizer, only makes matters worse. I’m not sure what language this is in, and I’m not even convinced it’s not a load of nonsense, even sticking lines of the lyrics in Google Translate didn’t provide much clue, coming up with a different language for each line. Regardless it’s not the lyrics that bother me here, it’s that the whole track sounds utterly ridiculous. It reminds me more of some daft sing-along song in a little children’s TV show. You know the sort, no matter if you have kids yourself or just remember them for your own childhood, it’s the sort that will drive the parents up the wall. That’s what this song sounds like, only it has a power metal riff going on through it. Since they included a version of the track especially designed for karaoke as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the album I’m not sure that wasn’t the intent. The track is in no way entertaining and it’s not even power metal cheese in a good way. It is the worst track I’ve heard for some time though. I guess that’s a (dubious) achievement of its own. Unfortunately although this is definitely the most prominent case, I also get the whole children’s music vibes off of some of the other songs on the album, although in those cases it’s more the case of the vocal tone and more use of those synthetic keys.

Fortunately for the band and my ears things pick up with Twilights of Sand’s third track, The Princess and Belzebu. Not by much, but at least enough to save my sanity. Up to this point Twilights of Sand hasn’t given the listener much of a real experience about what it’s about; that only really starts here, and what we’re dealing with is keyboard driven Euro power metal. Now I’m a fan of the power metal genre, and I’ll defend it when it gets insulted as it often does from supposed metalheads who don’t have a clue what they’re talking about, but Twilights of Sand is one of those albums that quite legitimately gives the genre a bad name.

What we’re talking here is not something that is typical cheesy power metal, because it’s really not cheesy sounding at all, it’s because the sound the band puts across is not working. First off the production job is pretty bad, which lets the material that is stronger down a fair bit, and although she had a decent voice, there are many moments on the album where it doesn’t sound as if Ashley has a voice that is cut out for metal. Some of the tones she comes out with sound like something I expect to hear in a commercial pop song, which is especially apparent in the non-metal parts of the album. I reiterate that she does have a good voice, and when her singing does work with the material it works really well, but more often than not the vocals and the music just seem out of sorts with each other. The only actual criticism I have for her actual vocals though is when she tries to hit the high notes. It’s very clear listening to those that she doesn’t quite have that range, and it shows.

That coupled with how patchy the actual material is makes the album something of a drag to get through. Its highlights stand out well because of this, but there’s nothing on offer that moves beyond merely good territory. I’d say Love Song is the best song here and She and Mystery of the Night are also pretty good but in general the album ranges from above average to very bad. Some of the tracks are just too long and outstay their welcome. But the biggest problem with this album is that it’s generally boring. The good moments are too few and far between to save it. After those first two tracks have gone by there isn’t anything offensively bad but at the same time the lack of real moments of epic awesomeness even in a cheesy way is what makes Twilights of Sand a really lacking album for power metal.

I haven’t heard much power metal from this year yet, but I’m sure that there are going to be a lot of stronger offers in the field that do the genre justice. I’d say for Twilights of Sand however a below average/fans only rating is most appropriate.

3.9/10

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))

Valarius Here is a band who has a ton of potential but somehow just can't quite manage to channel it properly to create anything truly memorable. Whilst there are some good tunes coming from the German group Ivory Tower, most of the time this, their self-titled debut album, seems to just fall flat on it's face.

I'm trying not to be too critical as there are some good tracks here, but sadly most of the time you just feel that you've already heard the same songs played a thousand times better by another band. On a positive note though, 'Alive' is a pretty awesome, upbeat song, and 'She' has a nice steady beat to inspire some serious headbanging, and to compliment the heavier tracks we have the beautiful piano ballad 'Spring'.

But apart from these three songs, the others all have hit-or-miss moments, and instead of finding something new with each listen, you just feel more frustration at having to listen through a whole heap of uninspired boredom to get to the good stuff.

Overall this isn't a terrible album, but it's not something I can see myself coming back to very often. The musicianship is fine and the vocals aren't bad, although sometimes the lyrics can be pretty lame, but ultimately the problem with this album is that it just tends to be boring most of the time. I feel bad giving it two stars, but three would seem a bit too generous to be honest.

RuneWalsh2112 This album marked my introduction to Helloween and it was quite an effective introduction indeed! Surprisingly enough it actually turned out to be my least favorite of the four Kai Hansen-era releases, once I've started to explore the band even more, but that doesn't mean that there isn't enough great material here!

"Initiation" is the obligatory intro track which unfortunately isn't nearly as effective as the previous two openers. The signature jingle is there but the rest of this minute long intro sounds like an epic overture to the album that actually isn't as epic as its individual pieces. "I'm Alive" is a classic Power Metal classic that introduces us to the gorgeous vocalist Michael Kiske!

I tend to skip "A Little Time" on my play-thoughts of the album since I feel that the track ruins the energy that was created on "I'm Alive". This is where "Twilight Of The Gods" comes to my rescue with another great Power Metal classic. "A Tale That Wasn't Right" is a decent ballad that I listen to on some instances but, most of the time, I get impatient and just skip right onto "Future World"!

"Future World" is easily this album's most know track. This is both good, since it's a pretty awesome track, and not so good, since it does feel a bit overplayed at times. Kiske's falsetto vocals are easily the highpoint of this track for me and they sound as impressive today as they did the first time I've heard them. The 13 minute opus "Halloween" is where the album goes from excellent to masterful. I've been in love with this composition ever since I've heard it for the first time and I honestly can't tell you where the minutes disappear while I experience this track but I don't regret a single one of them! "Follow The Sign" concludes the album with a premonition of the themes that will be played out in full on the next release. I've never been a big fan of these types of tracks because I just don't see a point to them.

Overall, "Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part I" is an important album in the band's discography since it fully embraced the potential new genre of Power Metal and opened up the flood gates for many imitators. The album is still a blast to my ears but I tend to listen to it with a slight caution, as to not to overplay some of its material. Highly recommended to fans of Power Metal, but I'm sure that most of you have already experienced this album!

***** star songs: Halloween (13:20)

**** star songs: I'm Alive (3:23) Twilight Of The Gods (4:30) Future World (4:03)

*** star songs: Initiation (1:19) A Little Time (4:00) A Tale That Wasn't Right (4:44) Follow The Sign (1:47)

Conor Fynes 'As The World Bleeds' - Theocracy (8/10)

As a genre that is quite well-known for its vehemently anti-christian stance, it takes some balls to boldly stride into metal and preach the word of God. Matt Smith and his aptly titled Theocracy project seek to bring Christianity to the power metal masses, and I will open up my review by stating that this is a double-edged sword. While Smith's conviction to this belief system has resulted in a passionate performance and musically excellent album, there will be a great many metalheads who will turn up their noses upon learning that this band is rooting for the other team. That is really a shame, because Theocracy's 'As The World Bleeds' may very well be the best power metal album of the year.

This American power metal act's sound finds a tight resemblance to Edguy, and the sort of upbeat, technically virtuosic, neoclassical melodic speed metal that is so popular in Europe. Theocracy's debut featured only Matt Smith as the musician for every aspect of the band's sound, and 'As The World Bleeds' shows the project being upgraded into a full- blown band. This has certainly upped the quality of the musicianship. Theocracy delivers a killer performance, as intense as it is catchy and melodic. Smith's vocals in particular are spectacular, pulling off both operatic falsettos and intelligent harmonies. The songwriting is a step above much of the gimmicky power metal I have heard this year, as well. 'I Am' is an eleven minute epic of a song that builds up wonderfully, filled with memorable melodies and epic pay-offs.

The production polishes the work beautifully, and it is clear that 'As The World Bleeds' has been a work of labour. As power metal goes, it does not go quite as far as to reinvent the genre, but it packs quite a punch within the confines of the style. As great as Theocracy's work here is, there are a few issues. First and foremost- as many would have predicted- the lyrics will stand in the way of many listeners' full appreciation of what Theocracy are doing, including my own. While it may seem hypocritical to have no problem with themes of Satanism in metal and proceed to lambast Christian themes; it's largely the way the themes are dealt with that irks me. The contrast between the tender themes of Jesus' love and redemption that Smith sings about, and the dark sound of the guitars and 'badass' inflections he sometimes works into his vocal delivery won't do much but feed the detractors. Christian listeners of Theocracy's work will not have the same issue with this, I would imagine.

Another, smaller issue is the matter of flow and length. While the quality of musicianship and composition is top notch for power metal, there is a lack in variety that makes the hour length of 'As The World Bleeds' seem about ten minutes too long. The album's highlight is offered first, and from then on, it's more a case of following formula, as opposed to surprising the listener. Of course, power metal is not the hub of diversity in the metal world, but hearing a quirk here and there would have kept me as much on my feet as I was when the first intense moments of 'I Am' came flooding in. It will undoubtedly cause controversy among metal fans, but Theocracy is undeniably good at what they do; excellent, even. 'As The World Bleeds' has its weaknesses which keep it from being stellar, but it stands as being the most impressive thing I have heard from power metal this year.

Warthur I guess it's no surprise Blind Guardian named this album after Queen's most critically acclaimed one (though it is a bit presumptuous) - after all, the main difference between this one and its predecessors is the band's deliberate use of decidedly Queen-like vocal harmonies, Queen-like mass overdubs, and a thorough injection of Queen-like pomp rock. To be honest, it doesn't make Blind Guardian's latter-day musical approach any more palatable to me, but I guess if you're really into power metal and really into Queen then it'll probably appeal to you. To be honest, I'd rather just listen to the better tracks off the original Night at the Opera again.

Time Signature Worth a tale...

Genre: power metal

It is a known fact that Germans know how to make good metal. Take for example Elmsfire from Düsseldorf and their debut album "Thieves of the Sun".

The name "Elmsfire" may tempt you to expect power metal, and that is indeed what you get indeed. Fortunately (for me at least), we are not dealing with the typical über cheesy happy puppy type of power metal that is typically associated with Europe, but rather with tasteful melodic power metal with plenty of influence from traditional heavy metal. Most of the songs on the album are kept at a comfortable mid-pace, but they are spiced up with both uptempo paces and heavier rhythms. There is definitely an epic feel to the disc, generated, among other things, by the use of keyboards as well as the genre-typical big and catchy choruses.

At times Elmsfire sound, without being a rip-off, like they were massively inspired by Running Wild - especially in the, shall we say, maritime 'Ahab' as well as in 'Taipouri Ake Tõnu Atu' - and there appears to be an influence from Blind Guardian as well. As mentioned, I am not trying to insinuate that Elmsfire are ripping off these two legendary metal act; I am merely trying to state that this album shares qualities with the music associated with Running Wild and Blind Guardian, and this is essentially intended to be a complement.

The production is clear and polished - which is a positive attribute in this case - and the professionalism that characterizes the musicianship on this album definitely does not make matters worse. Unfortunately, the album is simply too short, and there is too much, for my taste at least, filler material in the form of monologues and small instrumental intros and intermezzos.

"Thieves of the Sun" is definitely a quality album, and fans of melodic power metal can certainly recommend giving it a listen or two.

Time Signature The cage...

Genre: Euro power metal

There are no major stylistic changes on the "Winter Heart's Guild" in comparison with the debut album "Ecliptica" and the sophomore album "Silence" - so fans of the two previous albums can safely invest in this one.

On this, their third album, the band deliver their standard type power metal with a rapid thundering double bass drums, epic and extremely catchy choruses, and a couple of emotional ballads every now and them. Some might argue that this is a formula that gets tired very fast, while others might argue that - well, if it ain't broken, why fix it?

It would be untrue to claim that no development is to be traced on this album in comparison with the previous two ones. I think for example that the synths are progressively allowed to be more and more dominant, and synths are much more prominent on this album than on its predecessors. It also seems as though Sonata Arctica strive even more after an epic sound on this album than on both "Ecliptica" and "Silence", but it may just be a result of the use of dominant keyboards here. There are still some neoclassical elements to be heard - as in the introduction to 'Champagne Bath' (which also contains a cool exchange of keyboard and guitar solos) - but the on the whole the neoclassicisms on "Winter Heart's Guild" are less prominent than on the two predecessors. Also, Tony Kakko's singing style seems less intense and more relaxed on this album.

Sonata Arctica still make use of their greatest asset on this album - namely the catchy choruses, and the ones in 'The Cage', 'Silver Tongue', 'Victoria's Secret', 'Champagne Bath' and 'The Ruins of My Life' are some of the best of their kind.

If you've heard "Ecliptica" and "Silence", I think you would also "Winter Heart's Guild", but you might find that is has less of an impact on you than the other two albums do.

Time Signature Sing in silence...

Genre: Euro power metal

Like "Ecliptica", "Silence" impressed my positively. The style on this album is more or less the same as the "Ecliptica" with catchy and epic vocal hooklines and choruses, thundering drums and solid neoclassical keyboard and guitar acrobatics that would make both Yngwie Malmsteen and Ritchie Blackmore green with jealousy. The keyboards are given more space n this album and have also become more varied (and it may probably due to the entry of a new keyboard-player on this album). The music itself is also more varied. The song structures are a bit more complex compared to "Ecliptica", and some of the tracks are actually even kind of progressive.

The band has teamed up with an actor who delivers stories and vocals on some tracks - and, I must admit I feel that this move is a bit silly and actually disturbs the musical experience more than it enhances it. And in some cases it is just not convincing voice-acting, as in the introduction to 'The End of This Chapter' (a song that features an interesting bridge, by the way), where it falls completely flat.

There are also more ballads on this album than on the debut album, and some of them are quite good, I must say, but most of them I do not find convincing in any way.

"Silence" is not as catchy as "Ecliptica" but it's still a pretty good power metal album, I think - and the cheesometer is still kept at a reasonable level.

Time Signature Picturing the past...

Genre: Euro power metal

The Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica represents a kind of power metal, which I actually have a bit of an aversion toward - namely, the über-epic type of polished power metal, where everything is smeared with keyboards and other effects that make cheesometer go to eleven. It has nothing to do with whether or not I like power metal or not, because I do - I am just not too enthusiastic about cheesy happy puppy Euro power metal.

In the light of this, I must say that Sonata Arctica's debut album "Ecliptica" more or less clicked with me already at first listen. One reason is that there is a real punch to tracks like 'Blank File', 'Picturing the Past' and 'Destruction Preventer', all of which rock hard and are full of metal energy. Moreover, Sonata Arctica really showcase their capacity for writing extremely catchy chorus lines. Just check out 'Blank File', 'Kingdom for a Heart', 'Full Moon', 'UnOpened', and 'Picturing the Past'. Indeed, the ability to create such catchy choruses is Sonata Arctica's major strength, and it does not make matters any worse that Tony Kakko is as good a singer as he is.

There is some cheesiness on this album, of course, in the form of prominent keyboards, a couple of ballads, and loads of Yngwie Malmsteen-like guitar wankery, but on an album like this, I can live with it.

One of the better Euro power metal releases, and the best release in Sonata Arctica's catalog, "Ecliptica" is definitely a classic that any fan of the genre should own.

Warthur The third Domine album, Stormbringer Ruler, sees the band drift in a much more typical power metal direction. In particular, they seem to be influenced by the symphonic-tinged sound of fellow Italian power metal warriors Rhapsody (or Rhapsody of Fire, as they would come to be known subsequently), and seem to be deliberately modifying their sound to be a bit more in line with the more famous band's style. This is a shame, because I quite liked their first two albums' darker, edgier take on power metal, whereas this time around they seem (musically speaking, at least) to be going for a much more typical and less interesting power metal approach.

Diogenes Well, I have absolutely no idea what Freedom Call are trying to do anymore. Like, not even a clue. Everyone knows that they USED to play your typical over-the-top, cheeseball power metal, and were actually quite good at it. No, their music never had balls, but at least it was fun, catchy, and everything else that makes the European power metal scene so guiltily addicting. Unfortunately, their seventh studio album has none of that. In fact, it doesn’t really have much of anything. I’ll explain…

What makes this such a frustrating listen to me can be summed up pretty simply: there are fourteen tracks (which is too many, but that’s not the point), and yet only a handful can even be considered power metal; the rest are full of halfsy experimentation that’s more indicative of a band that’s out of ideas than one trying to move in a new direction. Now, this would be less of an issue if this wasn’t the third straight album in which Freedom Call were getting stuck somewhere between Euro power metal and radio pop rock, but it is. Just take a listen to “Rockin’ Radio” and tell me that the DJ voice and lyrics aren’t completely lame. “66 Warriors” sounds out of place at best; why are choirs even being used anymore? To cover up the lack of substance? I mean, they don’t even add anything. And, for a real treat, check out “Sun in the Dark”: a groove metal riff. Freedom Call, with a groove metal riff. That should seem like a good idea to no one, and not surprisingly, it doesn’t work at all.

Then, of course, there’s the one outlier: “Back Into the Land of Light,” with the triumphant horn intro, the sickeningly catchy guitar melody, and the anthemic chorus that makes you want to play it over and over again. You know, what you’d expect from a power metal album! But here, it sticks out like a sore thumb, as if to say, “Yeah, we still know how to write this type of music, and we might want to get back to it eventually”. To me, that screams lack of direction, as does the rest of this album. This brings us back to my main point: that Freedom Call have been stuck in this transitional phase for several years now, and while this track is good, it does nothing but muddy the album’s focus, having just as little place as the rest of the uninspired material. There are a few better tracks toward the end of the album, too, but by then it’s far too late to lift it back up from the depths of boredom-land.

Everything else about this album is fine. The production is fine (the vocals might be too loud, but Chris Bay is a good singer, so whatever). The art is fine. The song titles are not lifted from other bands (a la Circle of Life). It’s all set up for Freedom Call to make a heroic return to the world of power metal, but the band still doesn’t seem quite ready for that.

Bands change their sound. I get that. I encourage it, even; I would have been just as confused if Freedom Call just released Stairway to Fairyland for the seventh time over. But here’s the thing: the experimentation on Land of the Crimson Dawn isn’t even interesting. It doesn’t sound like the band is taking risks, or is even genuinely interested in trying something new. Rather, it seems like Freedom Call is simply going through the motions, releasing a new album because Steamhammer told them to without having the faintest idea of what to put on it. Mediocre at best, again.

Conor Fynes 'Emerge' - Bejelit (7/10)

Power metal is often a hit-or-miss thing for me. Of those bands who have won me over, Italy seems to be a place where many of the style's greatest acts are born. I had never heard of Bejelit before this year, but it's clear that they possess the sort of skill and passion that I usually look for in power metal. Granted, the band does nothing that hasn't already been hear many times before within the European power metal scene, but 'Emerge' stands as a good, if not great demonstration of Bejelit's promise.

Sonata Arctica was the band that kept popping to mind while hearing Bejelit. In fact, there were large sections where I could have been certain that it was Tony Kakko doing vocals here. That is meant in no way to downplay the real vocalist Fabio Privitera, however. As Kakko is among who I consider to be the greatest power metal singers of all time, Privitera's association is all to his benefit. He has a voice here that manages to thrust emotion even into the fastest-paced moments on 'Emerge'. 'We Got The Tragedy' is a brilliant showcase for his vocal acrobatics, and while he remains a technically-rooted vocalist, there is never a dearth of passion in his delivery.

The overall scope of Bejelit's music is highly focused on melody, but there is also a healthy balance of that epic, 'cinematic' feeling that many bands within power metal aim for. I found myself in awe of the album's epic, 'Deep Water'; a piece that manages to take feelings of triumph and melancholy, and fuse it into a grand ten minute journey. Though melodic, Bejelit are very fast-paced, though their sound is never quite challenging nor grinding on the ears. There is a very synth-laden approach here. Though the guitar work of Capone and Pastorino is the guiding light of the composition, there is a symphonic aspect that adds some meat to the sound, though some listeners may find the more optimistic synth parts to fall into cheesy depths.

Even following several highly enjoyed listens, I can't quite shake the Sonata Arctica impression that Bejelit first gave me. The band's ambitious string sections may hint at a way to distinguish themselves in coming years, but I cannot yet say that Bejelit stands out as their own act amongst the crowded power metal realm. With that in mind however, it's not often I hear power metal that nails the songwriting aspect like on 'Emerge'. A very good album, and a band to look out for in the coming months.

Time Signature Coldness of metal...

Genre: US power metal

Featuring the likes of Shane French and John Teer as regular members and Pete Blakk and Dave Garcia as guest performers, it is no surprise that VOZ' debut album "Shadows of Night" is a massive barrage of US power metal with razor sharp guitars and plenty of references to traditional metal.

After the epic guitar-harmony-filled intro 'Shadows of Death', the album is kicked into gear through the aggressive 'Coldness of Night' which combines galloping guitars and almost thrashy riffage, a style which is continued in the following track 'The Happening', which also features some more groovy riffage, while tracks like 'Underworld', 'Run' and 'Witch Hunter' are heavier, but no less aggressive.

Bolstering the core line-up, Pete Blakk and Dave Garcia, as mentioned above, make guest appearances providing lead guitars, and, consequently, the listener can expect both technically advanced and frenzied shreddy soloing, while the rhythm guitars are massive, and drummer Jack Teer - true to the power metal ethos - delivers double bass drums galore. Morrie Vozdecky's vocals might take some getting used to, and might even be an acquired taste, as his singing combines a bit of Ripper Owens, a bit of Rob Halford, and a bit of King Diamond. I can imagine that some listeners might find the vocals too hysterical, but I like that uncontrolled aspect of Vozdecky's singing.

I think that many fans of aggressive US power metal will like the music itself, but the production is perhaps too raw and unpolished to many of the same listeners. Generally, it seems a bit thin and lacks a solid bottom, but at the same time, it definitely is refreshing with a raw-sounding release in a genre otherwise known for very polished productions.

A solid debut which shows a lot of future potential VOZ' "Shadows of Death" is a tour de force of all the virtues of US power metal and should appeal to fans of the likes of Cage, Iced Earth and Manowar.

Warthur Domine's second album tightens up and refines their Iron Maiden-influenced power metal format as featured on their debut. This time around the band lean a little more towards an epic and slightly cheesy power metal atmosphere than on their somewhat darker debut, but they still seem to have a bit of an edge on the rest of the power metal crowd, and the closing epic The Battle For the Great Silver Sword is perhaps the best song of their first two albums. Slipping in carefully chosen samples - a snippet from John Boorman's version of Excalibur here, a few words from David Lynch's Dune adaptation there - the band wear their fantasy fandom on their sleeves, but if you're down with that they present one of the best power metal albums I've ever heard.

Warthur Though HammerFall's second album doesn't represent any major advances over their debut, it's still a strong example of what they do the best - power metal with a harder edge than usual and which dials back the cheese just a little bit when compared to the rest of the power metal pack. Varying their sound and including a few quieter parts here and there to prevent things getting too monotonous, HammerFall once again prove themselves one of the more interesting acts in the genre, showing keen judgement of when to stick to the classic power metal formula and when to deviate from it for best effect.

Warthur Blind Guardian's Nightfall In Middle-Earth finds the band moving out of their comfort zone and doing something a little ambitious - a lavish concept album drawing on the narrative of the Silmarillion, the body of myth and legend penned by Tolkien which forms the backstory to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Whilst many artists find that the concept album format helps add focus and direction to their music, I feel Blind Guardian stumble here.

Firstly, they inject the album with far too many narrative interludes, ruining the flow of the music; secondly, even with the narrative interludes, the plot is extremely hard to follow unless you're already very familiar with the story. In retrospect, they might have had a bit more success if they'd honed things down to focus on a particular story from the Silmarillion rather than trying to take in as much of the whole narrative as they could.

Finally, when it gets right down to it the music on this album is much the same as on any other Blind Guardian album from this period in their career - cheesy power metal with stirring vocal harmonies are the order of the day and there really aren't that many surprises. In short, what you get here is an alright Blind Guardian album bogged down by the band's attempt to add narrative structure.

Warthur Domine were finally able to put out their debut album after spending over a decade cranking out demo tapes and working on honing their sound, so it's no surprise that it's a particularly strong album which finds the band honed into a potent power metal unit. Showing more grit and aggression than many of the shinier, happier sort of power metal band, the group create complex, brooding songs with a lyrical focus on the Elric stories by Michael Moorcock.

Just as those stories provided a style of fantasy literature that was bloodier and grittier than your average Tolkien rip-off but, at the same time, were a bit more thoughtful and insightful than your standard Conan clone, Domine produce a style of power metal which is darker and deeper than most other power metal, with all traces of cheese conspicuously absent. In other words, it's precisely the sort of departure from expectations any musical genre needs to remain healthy and vibrant.

Warthur Power metal is kind of a hit-and-miss genre for me - when it clicks with me, it's really enjoyable, but too often the cheese factor is overwhelming and I can't deal with it. One of the happy exceptions to that is HammerFall's debut album, which updates the power metal formula as it existed in the mid-1990s with a healthy influence from NWOBHM masters like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The end result is that the band dial back the cheese and deliver material with guts and grit to them - but, of course, with enough dragon-slaying and knightly quests to lend things the sense of fun and fantasy adventure power metal lends itself to.

Time Signature Heroic return...

Genre: power metal

"You can't have power metal without cheese" is a well-known adage. I beg to differ, and so do Danish power metallers Ironguard, whose debut EP "Fire Empire" has all the good stuff that power metal has to offer, but lacks any cheesiness altogether.

Rather than drawing on the happy puppy approach of much European power metal, Ironguard seem to find their main inspiration in the likes of early Iced Earth as well as Helloween and Blind Guardian's first couple of albums. Thus, the big and catchy choruses are there as is the focus on melody and overall epicness - so, yes, this definitely is true to the power metal genre. However, like early Iced Earth, early Helloween, and early Blind Guardian, Ironguard add an injection of speed metal and thrashiness to their music, which results in a dimension of aggression that suits the music extremely well. I, for one, appreciate Ironguard's move to draw on thrash and speed metal rather than Euro-happiness. Another aspect of the EP that scores points in my book is the use of more traditional heavy metal riffage that appears side by side with the power metal and speed metal elements.

In other words, Ironguard's "Fire Empire" is one of those releases that help put the power back in power metal.

Unlike many other power metal releases, Niklas Heide Andersen's vocals are not exaggeratedly operatic, but are placed in a comfortable mid range cadence. This makes them quite easy to listen to for me, but I can imagine that some power metal aficionados might have to give the EP a couple of spins for the vocals (and the slight Danish accent in which they are sung) to sink in. The musicianship is far from amateurish, and the production is unpolished and has a refreshingly retrospective and organic feel to it.

Ironguard's "Fire Empire" is a release from a band who shows a lot of potential and it stands as a solid power metal release in its own right. Fans of power-thrash, US power metal, speed metal and melodic thrash metal as well as traditional 80s metal should definitely check it out.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.com)

J-Man Italy's prosperous power metal scene may be most recognized for bands like Labyrinth, Rhapsody of Fire, and Elvenking, but there are also plenty of lesser-known acts that have been pumping out solid albums for quite a few years. Enter Drakkar, a band from Milan that released three albums in the late 1990's and early 2000's before falling into relative obscurity. When Lightning Strikes is their comeback album of sorts, and marks the group's first full-length outing in the near-ten year period since Razorblade God. Fans of Drakkar's older material will be satisfied to hear that this album is filled to the brim with solid riffs, memorable melodies, and lovably cheesy symphonic keyboards, and while their sound may take a few too many hints from their fellow Italian power metal bretheren, there's no doubt that When Lightning Strikes is an impressive effort from start to finish.

Rhapsody of Fire is probably the most notable point of reference when discussing the style of music played on When Lightning Strikes. Although Drakkar lacks the same level of orchestral bombast as their fellow countrymen, their sound still balances epic power metal, symphonic interludes, and progressive overtones in a similar manner. Blind Guardian is another valid comparison, so fans of heavy-edged melodic power metal with plenty of symphonic tendencies are bound to find lots to love on When Lightning Strikes. Keyboard player Corrado Solarino is actually given a pretty huge role here, and in addition to delivering plenty of symphonic overtones, his organ and synthesizer solos would not be out of place on a progressive metal album. Though his choice of tones occasionally borders on 'plastic cheese overload', there's no doubt that his playing is spectacular. The rest of the musicians are also top-notch, and although Drakkar have been absent from the scene for quite a bit of time, their craft as musicians has not deteriorated at all.

When Lightning Strikes has a cheesy European power metal flair in nearly every song, but I still find myself having a great time every time I put on this album. As cliched, typical, and pompous as Drakkar may be, they are damn good at delivering solid power metal records - people who are able to look past a few corny, yet still catchy and fun, choruses in songs like "We Ride" should be in for a great time. This won't appeal much to people outside of the core power metal fanbase, but fans of that genre should definitely investigate When Lightning Strikes. 3.5 stars are well deserved for this impressive comeback!

Warthur The Spawn comics were bold and brash affairs with a quintessentially mid-1990s art style which was lurid, over the top, and more than a little cheesy, to the point where you kind of had to be there to appreciate it.

I guess the same is true of Iced Earth's The Dark Saga, which some fans have praised as a high point of their career but just doesn't sound particularly outstanding or special to me. It's somewhat more straightforward and simple than the music presented on Burnt Offerings, and whilst some of the big chunky thrash metal riffs the band break out from time to time are fun, I enjoy them much better in an actual thrash metal context. One for fans of a slightly thashier style of power metal, I guess.

optisailor2002 USA's Pharaoh this year releases their fourth full length album, Bury the Light. Having already released 3 overall pretty well-received full length albums and almost 15 years of playing experience, this band is certainly not one that is new to the metal genre, containing members that have been involved in bands like Nachtmysticum and famed Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner's Control Denied, leaving me with high expectations despite this being my first encounter with Pharaoh.

Unlike their 2010 EP Ten Years, Bury the Light opens strongly, with catchy and high-energy riffs on Leave me Here to Dream, and the band also does not hesitate to show off the members' talents on their instruments, with bassist Chris Kerns immediately given a short lead spot. The vocals of Tim Aymar is immediately recognisable, strong and raspy, and it sounds almost as if he hasn't aged and his voice has not deteriorated even by a bit since his works with Control Denied, and this remains as one of the personal highlights of the album as evident on tracks like Castles in the Sky where he pushes his vocal limits, despite its relatively low mix in the album compared to the other instruments. Softer moments on the album such as the acoustic section on The Year of the Blizzard also lets Aymar's vocals shine. The music on the album is mostly a melodic style of heavy/power metal, and suffice to say, Tim Aymar's vocals certainly fits the bill on an album like this, backed by a competent instrumental section.

Unfortunately, despite containing numerous outstanding musicians, the band falters on the songwriting aspect, and while many tracks contain a number of different styles and could have been a good idea if executed nicely enough, they tend to get slightly overused at times and easily bore the listener by introducing too many different elements on a single track, making this album to be slightly difficult to digest on the first few listens despite its melodic qualities. Even softer tracks like The Year of the Blizzard can get pretty hard to listen to. At times, the transition between different styles also end up sounding awkward, such as the transition between heavy and more melodic moments on tracks like Leave me Here to Dream and The Wolves, making it sound as if the band were unsure about which direction they want to take. There are also moments when the different instruments sound slightly incoherent and out of pace with each other, and this definitely affects the flow and enjoyment of the album.

Bury the Light is perhaps one of the more unconventional power metal albums that I have listened to of late, and while the inclusion of numerous styles could border the band on progressive metal territory, this album is certainly not for the casual power metal fan looking for a catchy power metal album, and could instead be more satisfying for someone looking for something slightly more technical and progressive than your everyday power metal.

(http://www.heavymetaltribune.com/)

AtomicCrimsonRush “Inspiration” is definitely one of my favourite Yngwie Malmsteen albums featuring wonderful cover versions of classic rock and some incredible vocals and special guests. It begins with Kansas’ classic ‘Carry on Wayward Son’ with a heavy treatment of the killer riffs and terrific vocals by Jeff Scott Soto, an old fave singer of Malmsteen’s from the early years. ‘Pictures of Home’ is a metal verision of Deep Purple’s seminal rocker, with vocals by Joe Lynn Turner who also sings lead on ‘Demon’s Eye’, both excellent covers with inventive reimaginings of the lead breaks. Malmsteen is a shredding genius.

The amazing ‘Gates of Babylon’ is an outstanding cover here, with the majestic style captured and fret melting lead work. Hendrix is a major influence on Malmsteen who according to his website was born the day Jimi died. ‘Manic Depression’ is one of my favourite Hendrix tracks and it is a joy to hear Malmsteen launch into that riff and scorching fiery lead break. Mark Boals is the vocalist on this and sounds terrific.

In the Dead of Night’ is a slower song but memorable for its catchy chorus and keyboards of Johansson. Whitesnake’s power blues of ‘Mistreated’ follows and is absolutely brilliant, the riff, the lead break, and the vocals of Soto are outstanding making this a highlight. It is nice to hear Malmsteen’s Rush influences here too with a cover of their ‘Anthem’ sounding bright and heavy.

The piece de resistance of this album though is the astonishing cover of ‘Child in Time’ featuring Malmsteen smoking on the lead break. In fact this lead break is utterly ingenious, with super fast arpeggios, hammer ons, speed sweeps, piercing string bends, adagio and even the odd speeded up scale up and down the frets. I have heard this track the most of all on the album, and it is the best cover of the song without a shadow of a doubt. This is one to get hold of to check out Malmsteen at his most ferocious, he simply takes off into the stratosphere on the Fender strat. When the lead break finishes shredding fiercely there is a stunned silence for a few seconds, before the quiet organ returns, and I always draw out a breath of amazement here every time. It is simply breath taking guitar. The song has some wonderful keyboards too from Johansson and Turner’s vocals are top notch.

“Inspiration” is a sensational cover album and showcases Malmsteen at his absolute best. It is great too as an introduction to the many bands being covered, many of which I had not heard a lot from when I first got hold of this album. I think Malmsteen has paid generous respect to songs and artists that have inspired him over the years, and he poured out all his energy and adoration towards these artists onto this album to create something very special.

AtomicCrimsonRush Yngwie J. Malmsteen is of course a legendary guitarist along with Joe satriani and Steve vai that were all the rage in the 90s. I remember this album well back in the 90s as everyone was getting hold of it and I had it on cassette back then. It is a pleasure to finally get the CD but it is not hard to find in bargain bins so it appears many decided to ditch it. Understandably this is very dated and sounds like the 90s neo-classical period.

There are very poppy moments such as 'Teaser' and overall the Whitesnake style power metal, merged with melodic soft rock. I was into it at the time but have since grown completely out of the style. It is not complex music, apart from the lead breaks by maestro Malmsteen. The prog on this is rather hard to find, though occasionally there are interesting orcestrations such as the intro to 'How Many Miles to Babylon'. This is a definitive highlight of the album. The flute and violin with acoustics is quite enchanting. The problem I always had with Malmsteen's albums is the choice of vocalist. On this occasion Goran Edman is actually quite good, adequate at the least but he is always staying on that typical metal note. He can reach a high falsetto and sounds great on the heavier songs.

The best moments for me are the instrumentals such as 'Perpetual', a standout fast lead solo, 'Leviathan', an atmospheric piece with fret melting lead work, and 'Golden Dawn', an acoustically driven piece. Of all these I prefer 'Leviathan' especially the screaming lead break with the odd time sig and constantly shifting tempo. I remember seeing this on video and being amazed at Malmsteen's ferocity on the Fender. It kind of annoys me how the songs fade as Malmsteen continue to shred, it would be better to finish on a huge power chord.

Malmsteen is a genius guitarist and he shreds brilliantly. The lead breaks are incredible, creative and virtuoso as one might expect having a band named after you. He looks great on stage too, and I always enjoyed when tracks from "Fire and Ice" appeared on concert performances. The liner notes of the CD includes that the album was "dedicated in loving memory to Bjorn Malmsteen" which is a nice touch. A clue to his influences are in the personal thanks as Malmsteen mentions the likes of Erika Malmsteen, J.S.Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Jimi Hendrix, H.P.Lovecraft, Enzo Ferrari, Leo Fender, Dinsdale, and Monty Python's Flying Circus. An interesting line up there showing where the music stems from. Indeed the classical influences are prevalent among others. Listen to the intro of 'C'est La Vie' with Malmsteen on sitar for an example of Indian Raga.

There are fast metal moments such as 'No Mercy' with a traditional shredding rhythm, and then an orchestra plays Vivaldi or Bach-ian music for a while till Malmsteen performs a blistering lead break. He loves those high string bends and speed picking sweeps as well as massive hammer ons and arpeggios. The album songs are forgettable, indeed I had to listen to the whole thing to remember a single melody, but at the time of listening it is enjoyable. 'Fire and Ice' is a rather pedestrian hard rock song sounding more like glam. At 2 ½ minutes in though we are treated to a brilliant lead break with ferocious arpeggios and classical inlfuences. It leads to a wah-wah sound for a change and it fades out again.

There is huge diversity on the album such as the speed power metal of 'Forever Is A Long Time' which includes symphonic keyboards by Mats Olausson. Edman sounds great here and the violin section is appropriate to usher is another super fast killer lead solo. He trades of with some equally fast keys too and this is fantastic. Malmsteen loves his ballads and here is no exception with 'I'm My Own Enemy' giving Göran Edman a chance to shine though it lasts for 6 minutes and is hard to sit through. This is perhaps one of those lighters in the air concert moments and Malmsteen can relax on 12 string. The string section is a nice embellishment though. 'All I Want Is Everything' follows, and it is okay but the album is tending to drag a bit at this stage and needs a real kick in the guts to bring it up to standard. After the beauty of the acoustic section it ends with 'Final Curtain'. There is a cool riff to begin and thunder rolls across the heavenly striking violins. The pace is slow but the music is intriguing. The obligatory lead break hammers in once more and she is all over with a thunder clap.

This is a long slog to get through the whole album, especially as it sounds so commercial. It was the album that a lot of my friends had in the 90s and I ended up with it but I rarely played it due to the lack of interest in the neo classical feel, but it is a bit more enjoyable these days with the prog references. Though I admit I won't be returning to this often as there is so much better out there, that leaves this outdated music for dead.