Kaledon – Carnagus – Emperor of the Darkness (Review)

This is the tenth album by Kaledon, an Italian power metal band.

This is epic, melodic power metal with an emphasis on high-energy songs and strong choruses.

The album is surprisingly short and to the point compared to some in their back catalogue. With this change also comes a change of singer too, as the band now boast the talented vocalist from Overtures in their ranks. With all of this in place the band sound invigorated and hungry – it’s a brave new chapter in Kaledon’s history, and a bright future beckons.

Yes, I’m a fan of Kaledon already, so it’s great to hear them shine on their latest release. I love me some quality power metal, and here Kaledon once again show what they can do.

The songs are catchy and filled with great hooks and choruses. There’s a lot of energy on the album and it’s clear that the band are in love with what they’re doing. Frequently upbeat, Kaledon mix quality singing with equally quality riffs with ease, finding the right balance between focusing on their singer and on the nicely beefy guitars. This is an important consideration that a lot of power/symphonic/etc. bands underestimate.

As well as the tasty riffs, leads and solos abound, with the latter being particularly enjoyable. In fact, all of the guitars on this release are first-rate.

The tracks are awash with keyboards. These are well-played and arranged, fitting into the songs well and adding extra depth, but without ever compromising the essential metal of the main delivery. Also – keyboard solos! Hell yes.

The 2017 incarnation of Kaledon is a focused, well-oiled machine that pumps out great songs with catchy depth. As power metal goes this is easily the best thing I’ve heard this year so far.

Hail Kaledon!