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| #FOR FANS OF: Power Metal, Sacred Steel, Dragonhammer, Heimdall |
From the always-fertile Power Metal soil in Italy, these newcomers offer a strong debut that any fan of the genre should appreciate. Eschewing the cheesiness so rampant in the genre, instead we get a more harder-hitting punch from a rampaging Traditional Metal spawning ground while still keeping this one firmly rooted in the Power Metal mold with the blazing melodies, furious riffing and power-packed drumming that all flow through the majority of Italy’s Power Metal acts. Utilizing the technically-proficient guitar-work that retains Neoclassical-styled melodies running freely throughout the music here also keeps this properly in the Italian vein, employing a generous symphonic quality to the music that offsets the melodic quality for lively, up-tempo music with quality melodic tones and bouncy rhythms that sounds truly grandiose. While what’s accomplished here is nothing new under the sun and certainly showcases the low-budget production job here with a weak vocal mix that really reduces his power, especially against the guitars, there’s far worse acts out there attempting this style that there’s a lot to like here just for the decidedly retro approach to the material. Intro ‘Ivory Gates’ works a series of strong galloping mid-tempo rhythms into blaring drum-work and dynamic riffing that incorporates plenty of screaming leads, epic marches and varying tempos for a stand-out intro here, while the far-more-dynamic ‘Unwanted Treason’ blazes forth with more technically-challenging sweeping riff-work, plenty of speed and the dynamic double-bass drumming that continues the hallmarks of the genre incredibly well. The power-packed ‘Take the Power’ starts with light, lilting guitar-work before turning into a ravenous barn-burner full of dynamic riffs, tight rhythms and powerful drumming keeps this one storming along nicely and offers plenty to like overall. ‘Ill Rise Again’ switches this out for more of a mid-tempo operatic approach that holds off the rampaging metal in favor of a more direct Trad-Metal approach that works nicely yet doesn’t match the rest of the flowing music on display. The instrumental ‘Dark Caves Melody’ serves as an appropriate breather with the light guitar work, pounding drumming and jaunty rhythms that make for quite an effective stop-gap between the two epics to follow. The first of these, ‘Journey to the Glory’ offers more of that traditional Italian Power Metal style with blazing speed-driven leads, bombastic rhythms, pounding drumming and the kind of energy that remains a part of the importance of the scene, while the title track is pure, simple speed-driven Italian Metal with ravenous riffing, blazing melodies and jaunty rhythms that allow the over-the-top melodies plenty of space to go for the bombastic that gives this one such a strong overall mark. Again, not the most original out there but certainly a lot of fun regardless. (Don Anelli)
(Club Inferno - 2015)
Score: 85