Twilight Force are a power metal band from Sweden and this is their fourth album.
I enjoyed how gloriously over the top 2019’s Dawn of the Dragonstar was, so it’s great to hear some new material from Twilight Force. Bursting at the seams with 45 minutes of epic symphonic power metal, At the Heart of Wintervale delivers an ostentatious and lavish fantasy tale. Continue reading “Twilight Force – At the Heart of Wintervale (Review)”
This is the third album from Russian doom metal band Mare Infinitum.
Cryosleep contains 47 minutes of epic symphonic doom metal, although these simple words don’t really do the music here sufficient justice. Mare Infinitum’s style takes a base of death/doom and then builds on this with lavish orchestration and operatic depth. Continue reading “Mare Infinitum – Cryosleep (Review)”
Induction are an international power metal band and this is their second album.
Born from Fire provides the listener with 58 minutes of symphonic power metal to get their teeth into. Like the album cover, it seems Induction are on fire. Continue reading “Induction – Born from Fire (Review)”
Fellowship are a symphonic power metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.
I love a good power metal album, but I also find I’m constantly disappointed by it, as I’m not easily pleased with the style. Not so with The Saberlight Chronicles – this is a first rate slice of the good stuff. Fun, ridiculously positive and over the top, and packed with great tunes, Fellowship have massively impressed. Continue reading “Fellowship – The Saberlight Chronicles (Review)”
Ruins of Elysium are an international symphonic metal band and this is their second album.
Containing 73 minutes of symphonic power metal, Amphitrite: Ancient Sanctuary in the Sea is an epic work that covers a range of different aspects of power and heavy metal, all lusciously prepared with a rich symphonic and operatic coating. Continue reading “Ruins of Elysium – Amphitrite: Ancient Sanctuary in the Sea (Review)”
Twilight Force are a power metal band from Sweden and this is their third album.
This is epic, symphonic power metal, the type that makes no apologies for its extravagance and sumptuous presence. These Euro-metal hymns are enhanced with all manner of additional instruments and symphonic keyboards. It’s the kind of music that embraces all of the clichés about this sort of thing, and does so willingly and with passion. Continue reading “Twilight Force – Dawn of the Dragonstar (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Austrian Symphonic Power Metal band Visions of Atlantis.
This is bright and energetic music with a strong Power Metal base that the band build symphonic elements onto. It’s relentlessly upbeat and mercilessly colourful, so much so that it’s hard to dislike a band playing with Continue reading “Visions of Atlantis – Old Routes – New Waters (Review)”
This is the seventh album from this German Symphonic Power Metal band.
At over 70 minutes in length, there’s a lot of music on this release. Also, featuring guests from such notable bands as Queensrÿche, Twisted Sister, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Unisonic, Edguy and many others, this lives up to the title of Rock Opera with very little effort.
For all the different guest singers, the album has a coherent feel to it, partly due to the cohesive songwriting and partly due to the brains behind the outfit’s voice, which is a near-constant of these tracks in some capacity or other.
The music is bombastic, dramatic, emphatic, symphonic and suitably epic in nature. Unless you just don’t like this kind of thing it’s extremely hard not to enjoy Ghostlights. Great musicianship, high production values, quality singing and well-written operatic Metal…it’s a feast for the ears and proudly espouses the most extravagant side of European Power Metal.
Combined with the effervescent guitars, the orchestral elements are ever-present and a big part of what makes Avantasia so epic. These tracks have such a flair for the theatrical that every song seems to tell a story in bright, colourful pictures, writ large against a suitably ostentatious backdrop. Although the album does have darker elements it’s largely a performance of colour and fantasy, providing the listener with ample opportunity for escapism via the very textured world that the players portray.
Returning back to the guitars; it’s important to remember that this is, ultimately, a Metal album. Thankfully the band remember this too and have included a fair amount of tasty riffs among the orchestration.
Ghostlights evokes various different emotions, as all good operas should, but ultimately I’m left with the feeling of being uplifted and happy. Such larger-than-life music should be celebrated and it’s only appropriate that its lasting impact is a positive one more than anything else.
70 minutes of pure escapist showmanship. Loved it.
Favourite Track: Seduction of Decay. Geoff Tate, (Queensrÿche), has always had one of my favourite voices, and on this track he shines. The music backs him up to the hilt and the entire song is glorious.
Wonderbox Metal 