Dreamtale - Beyond Reality (2002)

Finnish band Dreamtale have brought out a debut here that has plenty going for it, but also a few drawbacks, including inconsistent writing, a modest singer in Rami Keränen and overlength.  Some records can justify over an hour of listening time, some can't, and this one doesn't.
At its best, like with "Dreamland', which is helped by female vocals, it's a top listen, but then there's such tedious stuff as the eight-minute "Heart's Desire". And, oddly, the final two songs have the feminine vocals leading the way, to the point where it starts to sound like a different band has taken over.
As I said, there are positives to Beyond Reality, but also negatives, and the result is a rather frustrating listening experience.

***

Iron Savior - Condition Red (2002)

Oh wow.  I've always liked Iron Savior without really liking them, but this album, the band's fourth, blows all their earlier ones out of the water.
Starting and finishing with two absolute crackers in "Titans Of Our Time" and the Star Trek-inspired "Thunderbird", this has these Germans (or, more accurately, leader Piet Sielk) finding melody to a standard they never have before, but without forsaking their speed and fury. Indeed, this is an exhilarating listen, an almost breathtaking thrill ride through their continuing story of the giant Iron Savior and... well, I'm not sure how the story goes since, not for the first time with some of these CDs, it's not easy to read the liner notes and find out what is happening!
But the music can hardly be faulted. With other highlights including "Walls Of Fire" and "Tales Of The Bold", Condition Red is a terrific album, and one of the best power metal releases of 2002.

****1/2

Power Quest - Wings Of Forever (2002)

If someone was to ever ask, "what is a typical power metal album?" you could quite easily produce this debut by British band, Power Quest.  Although filled more with postive-about-yourself lyrics than something like fantasy (although power metal is all for postive stuff in general anyway), it has the (pretty) speedy music, the (reasonably) flying choruses and (plentiful) guitar riffs and flying keyboards, from main songwriter Steve Williams, who had recently left the soon-to-be DragonForce.
And the vocalist, Alessio Garavello (there's a British name for you) has a decent set of pipes.
With highlights including "Far Away" and "Beyond The Stars", Wings Of Forever mightn't be the best power metal has to offer, but it does tick most of the boxes, and does a good job with what's on offer.

***1/2

Arachnes - Apocalypse (2002)

Mmmm... don't really have a lot to say about this album.  Arachnes hasn't blown me away so far, and this is a bit of a tedious effort, vocalist Enzo Caruso's keyboard work being the main thing of note for me, especially that great sounding church organ on "Decisive Battle (Reprise)", but when a reprise becomes a highlight, that doesn't say much for the rest.

**

Axenstar - Perpetual Twilight (2002)

At first, Swedish band Axenstar, led by brothers Magnus (singer and keyboardist) and Thomas (guitarist and principal songwriter) Eriksson sounds like a pretty typical power metal act, with the usual speed and furious guitar work (although the lyrics are more immersed in religious immagery than normal), but what gives them a distinctive sound is the over dubbing or Magnus' vocals, particularly in the choruses. Every song has him, for want of a better way of putting it, harmonising with himself, and this helps them, which are already quite melodious, rise above the reasonable to the quite lovely at times.  There is a temptation to critisise this debut for lacking much variety, and it is a bit hard to single out specific songs, but that could also be because there are no real weaknesses - every one grabs in its own way, although I will point to "All I Could Ever Be", "New Revelations" and "Perpetual Twilight" for special mention.
One other negative is that it would have been nice if Magnus' voice(s) was a bit louder in the mix.  But it's not too bad, and the overall result here is a very appealling, enjoyable listen from a band who has found their own sound.

***1/2

Majesty - Sword & Sorcery (2002)

After Manowar come these Germans from the same stable, Majesty.  This is their second album, and continues their Manowar adoration with lyrics, music and even album cover. The first song, "Sword And Sorcery", is quite good, but if you listen to it, you've pretty much listened to the rest, since nearly all the songs follow the same structure, with chanted choruses that repeat the title over and over.
Of course, I do tend to get dragged in by that kind of thing, so I do like it, but even I know when one thing is being done to death. And when they do try something different, like with the ballad "Aria Of Bravery", the results are dull.
The two songs I've named are based on a fantasy novel that main man/songwriter Tarek Maghary was soon to be getting published. I don't know if that ever happened, but I don't think it's hard to guess how by-the-numbers it would be.
But it would also probably be quite entertaining in its predictable way, just like this album.

***

Manowar - Warriors Of The World (2002)

Manowar. That heavy metal band that isn't really power, but I keep them on this blog anyway. This is their first album in six years, and it is quite bizarre, but oh so entertaining.
On the one hand, we have seemingly endless songs of war, battles, fighting and whatnot.  Some come at the beginning.  Then, out of nowhere, we have an adaption of  "Nessun Dorma", that song that television channels show Pavarotti singing whenever he's touring, making it sound like he never sung anything else.  And Eric Adams does a really good job of it!  It's not metalised to any great degree - it is symphonic, slow and majestic.
Not surprisingly, many metal fans despise it. As soon as I first heard this come on, I laughed and thought "oh, no wonder people give this band so much crap now." But I'm just a sucker for such things.
Then, a bit later, we have "An American Trilogy", a collection of American-as-apple-pie songs that Elvis used to perform. Once we come through all this, we get back to battles and all that, as well as a characteristic proclaimation of themselves ("Warriors Of The World United") and Satan stating his desire to fight against the forces of good ("House Of Death"). The word "die" is snarled so often in the latter part of the record, one might be in danger of just dropping dead on the spot.
I have never been a big Manowar fan, but I can go along with the fun if it's done well, and I think this is.  Warriors Of The World  is dumb, stupid and sometimes, in its overly-serious way, quite hysterical.
But it's also irresistible.

***1/2

Thunderstone - Thunderstone (2002)

This debut by Finnish band Thunderstone starts with a fine, typical power metal piece in "Let The Demons Free", but what follows is a variety of quick, steady and slow songs that broaden the horizon of the genre.  The result is a listen that's quite good, without being anything spectacular, containing a strong and appealling keyboard sound, and personal and reflective lyrics.
It does sometimes veer a bit too much towards something approaching alternative at times (I think so, anyway), but it's a reasonable enough release all the same.

***

Firewind - Between Heaven And Hell (2002)

Merry Christmas!
I've been caught up in all things festive over the last few days (alright, some things festive), but now it's time to continue my journey through power metal in 2002.
Greek band Firewind (well, they were formed in the USA, but now seem to be based in Greece) play something of a more 'traditional', Iron Maiden-style of metal, albeit with the speed of power metal, and this is a decent debut. Strong playing and singing lift some reasonable songs into the impressive, highlights including "I Will Fight Alone" and a cover of Scorpions' "Pictured Life", resulting in a very worthy listen.

***1/2

Manigance - Ange ou démon (2002)

Manigance is a French band who sings completely in their own native language, something that always appeals to me, even if I can't understand what the words are about. This debut is well enough done from a technical viewpoint, but not terribly memorable.  Only "Intégrité" and the concluding "Messager" really stand out for me.

**1/2

Requiem - The Arrival (2002)

Requiem was a fairly short-lived Finnish band which did pretty standard power metal, on this debut anyway. The mix on it is not great, as vocalist Jouni Nikula struggles to be heard amongst the (quite proficient) instrumentation at times, but he's not terribly good anyway, sounding rather like a very weak and wobbly opera singer.  Some of the material is reasonable, like "Revival" and "The Invisible Touch" but, overall, The Arrival is pretty ordinary.

**1/2

Nightwish - Century Child (2002)

For some reason, I find Nightwish albums hard to rate. I like them, but am never sure how much.
This, their fourth, is the first with bassist Marco Hietala, who also provides some... er... vocals, which are a matter of taste, I think.  They certainly can't compare with Tarja's voice (although comparing male singing with female is a bit unwise anyway), but having said that, she's less dynamically operatic this time around, as the record itself has a more symphonic, ethereal, slightly slower style.
It's certainly good though, from the "Wishmaster"-like "End Of All Hope" to the three-part conclusion, the haunting "Beauty Of The Beast", while there's also a version of Andrew Lloyd Weber's "The Phantom Of The Opera", where Turunen and Hietala share vocals, and it's not too bad although, ironically, the former doesn't seem to have the range for it.
As usual with Nightwish, I'm not really sure what I think about this one. There are weak moments, like the forgettable "Ocean Soul", but it remains undeniably impressive, and the band has a power and dignity that pulls the listener in.

****

Morifade - Imaginarium (2002)

I really liked Morifade's debut, POSSESSION OF POWER, which was released three years previously, but the only song I can reall remember is the beautiful "A Northern Rhyme".  There's nothing like that here on their follow-up, but it's still a good power metal release, starting with the excellent anti-drug song "Lost Within A Shade", while the "Gladiator"-inspired "In Martyria" (although it does sound a bit flowery for its subject matter) and the concluding "Whispering Voices" are also good, while Stefan Petersson's vocals are impressive.
I have a feeling I should like this more than I do, but maybe my mind wasn't totally on it just now. You know... life goes on, and other things enter one's thoughts. But there's no doubting I do find an appeal in Morifade, and look forward to hearing more from them.

***

Primal Fear - Black Sun (2002)

Primal Fear's fourth album is pretty much by-the-numbers metal, being solid without containg much that's ear-catching.  The best song is "Fear", while "Into The Fire" is pretty good, but most of the songs are pretty interchangeable.
And I won't mention a certain, long-running British band they keep sounding like.

***

Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (2002)

The title A Night At The Opera has been good to me.  It is the name of a great Marx Brothers film (which is one of my favourite movies of all time), and also a great Queen album (which is one of the best of the seventies), so now Blind Guardian adopts the name, with their first release in four years.
They go for a more progessive style here as they focus on such topics as Jesus' tempation in the desert ("Precious Jerusalem") , Galileo Galilei ("Age Of False Innocence"), Jesus Christ again, this time His crucifixion ("Sadly Sings Destiny") and the Dragon Lance books ("Soulforged").
In truth, this can't match the band's best work; it's a wild and restless listen, with all sorts of overdubs and instrumentation thrown in, but there's still much to like, and more listens can only be of benefit.
When I was reviewing Blind Guardian's earlier albums, I eventually came to the conclusion that they were my favourite power metal band at the time. Since then, I've fallen in love with the likes of Rhapsody and Freedom Call, so they've "taken the crown" in my mind (small as the crown is) from Hansi and his German friends, but they do remain one of the best at what they do - I just prefer albums like SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND and NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH.

****

Rebellion - Shakespeare's MacBeth: A Tragedy In Steel (2002)

Rebellion was formed by former Grave Digger members Uwe Lulis and Tomi Göttlich, guitarist and bassist respectively, and for their debut they decided to tackle Shakespeare's "MacBeth", giving us driving metal songs intertwined by various spoken passages, both narration and characters from the play.
This is pretty tough to get through, especially as over seventy minutes.  The music is powerful at times, although it doesn't leap out at the listener as anything instantly melodious, and how much you appreciate the subject matter depends on whether you are much into the Bard. I never have been a fan, personally - I can remember studying "MacBeth" at high school, although what about it I studied I can't quite recall. But I never was a very good student.
Anyway, this has good moments, and is a valiant attempt at something grand, but it is a bit of an overlong slog, so quite a bit of patience and devotion to the cause is required.

***

Highlord - Breath Of Eternity (2002)

Highlord's debut album HEIR OF POWER was terrible, while their second, WHEN THE AURORA FALLS... was excellent, so where does this third release fit?
Somewhere in the middle.
It's certainly better than HEIR, with such songs as "The Dreamer And The Deep Ocean" and, in particular, "Back From Hell", proving to be worthy, and Alessandro Muscio's atmospheric keyboards are effective throughout, but there's not as much material that grabs, making this a quite good, but slightly disappointing release.

***

Rhapsody - Power Of The Dragonflame (2002)

Wow. Freedom Call followed by Rhapsody. Can life in music get much better?
Power Of The Dragonflame is the final chapter in the Dragonflame Chronicles, and it is just as wonderful as SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS and DAWN OF VICTORY.
It is, in a way, a bit different. There's more in the way of straight power metal songs here, particularly on the first half, but what songs they are.  I could name pretty much every one, as track after track brings us magnificent melodies sung by powerful choral vocals that vary enough to make sure things never get repetitive, but I'll name a few anyway - "Knightrider Of Doom", the title song and "The March Of The Swordmaster".
And then comes the climax, the twenty-minute, three-part "Gargoyles, Angels Of Darkness", where the final battle takes place, before our hero (whatsisname - can't remember what he's called now) claims victory.  Again, this is a mighty, epic piece that Turilli and Staropoli just seem to have no problems producing.
Whether you really get into the story or not (and I find it a bit hard to do, as the booklet's notes and lyrics aren't always easy to read), this is for anyone who loves fast metal, melodies, choirs and just that breathtaking epicness that this band revels in.
Superb.

*****

Freedom Call - Eternity (2002)

In all the music listening and rating I have done over the years, I think I'm right in saying on only one occasion have I rated all the first three albums of a band five stars. No, it's not my initial eighties passion, Duran Duran. No, it's not my more recent passion, Rhapsody. I don't think it's even the Beatles +, although they come close. No, rather bizarrely, it's the Ramones.  I say 'bizarre' because it could not be said I'm much of a punk fan. I suppose I just had the opinion that what those boys were doing, they were doing perfectly.
So now comes the next band to make that list - Freedom Call.  For the third time, these Germans have grabbed me and spirited me away with their wonderfully melodious brand of power metal.
There can be a danger of doing the same thing over and over, that you will start sounding a bit tired.  On the other hand, if you try to be too different, you could stuff up and disappoint a lot of fans in the process.
Eternity differs from Freeom Call's first two albums (I think I'm right in saying) in that it's not as consistently fast, and there's also a bit more prominance of keyboards, which open a few of the songs. But what the band just cannot change is their knack of uplifting, anthemic choruses that just never let up.  Even the concluding ballad "Turn Back Time", while not their best song, is fine, and how many  metal ballads can you say that about?  Earlier on, such songs as the opening "Metal Invasion", "Warriors" and "Flame In The Night" are so uplifting that it's hard to work out how to get back down from the heights they lift the listener.
Yep, it's happy metal. Yes, it'll make some "real" metal fans sick.
But for power metal lovers, you just can't say your collection is complete without Freedom Call's catalogue.
So go and complete it!
Now!

*****

+ Disclaimer - I'm not saying Freedom Call is a better band than The Beatles. I'm not saying anyone is better than The Beatles.  The Fab Four will always remain legends. I'm just saying individual ratings can vary a surprising amount throughout the years. At least, mine can.

Falconer - Chapters From A Vale Forlorn (2002)

While Falconer's self-titled debut had touches of folk metal, this follow-up is drenched in it, as the title might suggest, as well as such song names as "Enter The Glade", "Lament Of A Minstrel" and "We Sold Our Homesteads".  What is the same is the beautiful voice of Mathias Blad, and more tuneful, catching songs, highlights including "The Clarion Call" and "Stand In Veneration".
This Swedish trio (trios are unusual in power metal, I've noticed) might not be the greatest at what they do, but they certainly are very good, dignified and worth listening to.
Sadly, Blad left the band for a while after this, as he had an acting career to focus on (that's what I've read, anyway), so here's hoping his replacement can live up to the standards he has set.

***1/2

Dark Moor - The Gates Of Oblivion (2002)

Dark Moor's third album is their best to date, partly because it's more consistent than their first two, but also because Elisa Martin's vocals have improved. Maybe not to any great status (she's certainly no Enya), but definitely better.
And, as the band has shown right from the start, they know how to write lovely melodies. This record has plenty of them, highlights including "A New World" and especially "By The Strange Path Of Destiny", while the conclusion is an adaption (mixed into an original song) of Mozart's "Requiem Dies Irae". As always, such classical crossovers win me over, even though Martin's voice can't quite cut it this time. She is helped, however, by the male back up.
With nearly every song fast, one might complain a bit about a lack of variety here, but with its graceful melodies and skilful playing, The Gates Of Oblivion is an album power metal fans should have in their collection, and Dark Moor have certainly become one of my favourite bands of the genre.

****

Sacred Steel - Slaughter Prophecy (2002)

Sacred Steel's fourth album is their heaviest and most 'evil' to date, to the point where the first 'proper' song has death metal vocals.  Squawking singer Gerrit Mutz soon enters the fray, however, and things become somewhat more familiar.  The lyrics focus, at least in part, on witch burnings, like with "Slaughter Prophechy (Vengeance For The Dead)" (that's the death metal one) and "Let The Witches Burn", while we have other titles like "The Rites Of Sacrifice", "Faces Of The Antichrist" and the suicidal "Lay Me To My Grave", which really threaten to go over my moral threshold, even though I know their not really praising evil, supporting this view being such things as drummer Matthias Straub's list of thank yous, which has him finishing with "Metal means tolerance, not violence and stupidity!"
I don't really know why I stick with Sacred Steel, but I have their stuff, so I might as well keep going, and see whether, at the very least, Mutz learns to sing normally.

**1/2

Metalium - Hero Nation: Chapter Three (2002)

Metalium's third album has them focusing on different historical figures from different parts of the world (mostly Europe), so we have the likes of Nero ("In The Name Of Blood"), Rasputin ("Rasputin") and Joan of Arc ("Accused To Be A Witch") getting their own songs, although I don't know how the band's hero Metalium fits into it all. And, inevitably, there's a 'thank you' to the band's fans with the concluding, title track, something heavy metal groups just love to do.
Yes, I know OMD did one too, but still...
Musically, I found this one a bit tough to get through, although I ended up thinking it's quite good.  Such songs as "In The Name Of Blood" and "Fate Conquered The Power" (the latter about the Inca tribe) are good, but "Odin's Spell" is laborious - it never seems to end.
I don't expect Metalium will ever be my favourite band (or even close), and this is not their best release, but there's some stuff here that might be worthwhile for metal fans.

***

Wuthering Heights - To Travel For Evermore (2002)

Alight, time to start 2002.  And we commence with borderline power metal Wuthering Heights.
I wasn't overly excited by these Danes' debut WITHIN, but I've got more out of this follow-up.  Like any album that has a heavy dose of progressive, it took a while to grow on me, but such songs as "The Nevershining Stones" and "See Tomorrow Shine" are good, while "Battle Of The Seasons" does something unusual - not only is it an instrumental (I don't tend to get overjoyed by heavy metal instrumentals), but it's almost nine minutes long, and yet it's pretty good!
Wuthering Heights' following album, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, is acclaimed as a true classic.  I'm not sure if I'm going to fall in love with it like a lot of others have, but I'll certainly give it a damn good try, since the band certainly does have quite a bit to offer.

***1/2

Skylark - The Princess' Day (2001)

Power metal in 2001 has really taken off as the year has gone on, with a good run of high quality albums towards its end in particular. So, as we come to the end, how better to finish than with my friends Skylark!?!
I've not been kind to this band up until now. Which is fair, since they suck.  But there remains something fascinating about them that keeps me listening with genuine interest, even if I'm not entirely sure why.
This, their fifth album, could well be their best to date, even if it is, in its own way, typical of Skylark's output.  With the thin production, there's really nothing heavy here, while the keyboards are rather wimpy (although I still like them) and the vocals... well, they're certainly better than they used to be, but will never be a strong point of the band.
Keyboardist Eddy Antonini has penned some reasonable songs this time around, with the likes of "I Will Cry Tonight" and "Rufus" quite catchy, as is the guitar riff on the closing "White Warrior."
Ah yes, the White Warrior and his armies, who are battling Satan/Lucifer/Belzebu, and not doing very well, as is proclaimed in the suitably titled "The Tragedy" - "Fire's burning on our planet, Satan's work is done for us/Now his throne is shining, brightening and we are giving up!"
Wimps.
The Princess' Day (that's some hot princess on the cover) pretty much epitomises everything about Skylark. Moderate songs, weak sound and a confusing story of good against evil.
But for those who try to avoid the more bombastic productions of certain other power metal acts (from Italy or elsewhere), this might just fit the bill.
Or maybe not.

***

Well, that's 2001 done and dusted. Time for another break of this blog, to get ready for 2002, with both familiar and new bands continuing to charge ahead in the wonderful world of power metal.

Angra - Rebirth (2001)

After three albums, Brazillian band Angra kind of fell apart, and it looked like that would be the end of them. But guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt did not give up, and recruited three new members, including vocalist Eduardo Falaschi, and brought out this fittingly titled release.
It cannot match the group's very best, and is just a tad perfunctionary, but there's still much to like here, with enough complexity to please fans, and they continue to carry a dignity that has been around them from the start; it's somehow hard to bag them.

***1/2

Brainstorm - Metus Mortis (2001)

Brainstorm's fourth album, er, storms back to the form of their first two (I thought AMBIGUITY was a bit of a disappointment), with more roaring and catchy choruses throughout, highlights including "Shadowland" and "Checkmate In Red", although one of the best songs is "Weakness Sows Its Seed", which contains a muttered chorus that's remarkably effective.
This style will never be my very favourite type of power metal (if that's what it really is), but Brainstorm do it as well as anyone, and they can be a lot of fun to listen to.

***1/2

Silent Force - Infatuator (2001)

Silent Force's second album blows their first one out of the water. For a while, anyway.  The first half is a terrific collection of power metal dynamite, starting with the furious "Infatuator" and flying "Fall Into Oblivion", until the anthemic "We Must Use The Power".
Unfortunately, things fade somewhat in the second half, with less grabbing material, and finishing with the inevitable ballad and brief instrumental.  It's not that this portion is bad; it just pales in comparison with what has gone before.
But throughout, the voice of DC Cooper does not pale. I can never review an album he's on without praising his vocals; there can not be a better singer in power metal. He has the range, the depth and the clarity that all frontmen dream of. Or at least, they should dream of.
In the end, I suppose I was a bit disappointed with this record, but only because of the contrasting halves. Overall, this is a must for power metal fans.

****

Six Magics - Dead Kings Of The Unholy Valley (2001)

Chile.  Now I've never listened to a band from Chile before. In fact, I could not even name a musical act from Chile. Oh, yes I could.
Six Magics.
And here is their debut, which is definitely a mixed bag. It's a haphazard, somewhat overlong story of battles and all that, with tuneless noodlings mixed in with sudden bursts of choirs and suchlike (and, during the concluding, twelve-minute title track, a bit of Bach), with a vocalist in Sergio Domínguez, who is a bit weak. The band is a sextet, so I don't know if their name is a reference to that.  They all sound proficient enough, but the result is certainly better in bits and pieces than as an overall whole.

**1/2

Forgotten Tales - The Promise (2001)

With Europe dominating power metal, some Canadians decided they wanted to join the fun, and so came Forgotten Tales. At first glance, this debut looks like they're desperately want to say "Look! We can do it too!", with such cliches as a short instrumental opening, positive fantasy lyrics, generally fast rhythms, and a four-part conclusion.
Well, they do do it too, and they do it quite well. One unusual (though not unique) aspect is they have a female singer, Sonia Pineault, who has a rich and strong voice, helping such songs as the uplifting "Cold Heart" (especially) and "Gates Beyond Reality" fly.  However, the second half of the record is not quite as good as the first, so it becomes an overall pleasing enough listen, rather than an exceptional one.
Forgotten Tales have done just two albums since this release, both of which seem to have a better reputation, so we'll see how they go from here.

***

Grave Digger - The Grave Digger (2001)

Grave Digger base this album on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and it is certainly very dark lyrically.  Musically, it's very, very heavy, with powerful guitar riffs throughout, which helps make this really good metal, although it's not up with the band's best.
The highlight is actually the concluding, slow song "Silence".  I can't always understand why so many musical acts bring out up tempo albums, and then suddenly finish with something relatively quiet, but it works superbly here - it's a lovely piece, and just seems to be an ideal conclusion.
Grave Digger have certainly done better than The Grave Digger, but they still can't help but stay in the habit of bringing out worthy material.

***1/2

Tierra Santa - Sangra De Reyes (2001)

After having to rely on YouTube for Tierra Santa's third album, I was able to purchase this next one, and believe it is their best to date. In fact, I'm quite warming to this band, after not being overly excited by their first couple of efforts.
It's still not an instantly melodious listen, but there's a resonance about the record that I find appealling, partly because, I think, the guitars sound so beautiful, right from the opening track "David Y El Gigante" (David and Goliath?), and that is carried on throughout. Other highlights include "El Laberinto Del Minotauro" (something about a Minotaur's labyrinth, I would think) and the concluding "Sangre De Reyes".
I haven't been sure whether I want to stick with Tierra Santa or not, but they are winning me over, so they're going to continue to be a part of this blog for the time being.
As long as I can continue to find their work.

***1/2

Rhapsody - Rain Of A Thousand Flames (2001)

I don't usually bother with EPs. Since I'm an obsessive who likes to listen to every single studio album an artist brings out (assuming I'm bothering with the artist at all), I have to draw the line somewhere, and usually confine EPs to Live and "Best Of" recordings as not really necessary.
"Rain Of A Thousand Flames" was released as a stop-gap in Rhapsody's "Emerald Sword" saga, and is officially an EP, even though it's forty-two minutes, which many eighties albums were shorter than (and I wish many ones today were similar), and, of course, it's Rhapsody, so how could I resist?
In truth, this is not the band's best work but, to paraphrase movie critic Leonard Maltin when referring to a weak Marx Brothers film, any Rhapsody is better than none at all.
There're plenty of dramatic moments there, with the opening title song flying effortlessly, before we get into a variety of choirs and orchestrations and, at times, stronger guitars than usual.  The conclusion, the ten and a half minute "The Wizard's Last Rhymes", is an adaption of Dvorak's magnificent "New World Symphony", and is certainly the highlight here.
However, something that goes against this record is "Tears Of A Dying Angel", mainly because the majority of its six minutes is spoken narration. Such storytelling is fine in small doses, but it just goes on for too long here.
Overall, I can't see myself growing to love this as I do other of Mr Turilli and co's work, but the very style, the very flavour of this kind of music will always win my heart to some degree.

****1/2

EDIT: I don't think I was quite on the ball when listening to this last time. I've just gone through it again, and it is pretty terrific, isn't it?  "Rain Of A Thousand Flames" is outstanding, and the epic "Queen Of The Dark Horizons" is... well, epic! Just wonderful stuff.
Maybe I called "The Wizard's Last Rhymes" the highlight partly because of my bias towards classical adaptions, which always grab my attention, although it's still a great piece.
I maintain that the narration on "Tears Of A Dying Angel" does go on for too long, but the music around it is magnificent and, while I still don't think this record can match Rhapsody's two previous releases, it remains a glittering jewel in power metal.

Gamma Ray - No World Order! (2001)

Gamma Ray have steadily become one of my favourite power metal bands, although they still haven't quite achieved a truly great album.
This one, about the Order of the Illuminati (or whatever it is), is exceptional on the first half, thanks to the likes of "Dethrone Tyranny," "Damn The Machine" (both written by drummer Dan Zimmermann) and "The Heart Of The Unicorn", but it fades a bit on the second - songs such as "Eagle" are rather forgettable, although the concluding ballad, "Lake Of Tears", is pretty good.
Gamma Ray is certainly a band who has become consistent in my view, and very enjoyable, but I still think Kai Hansen could do better, if he really put his mind to it.

****

Edguy - Mandrake (2001)

Fresh from his triumph with Avantasia earlier in 2001, Tobias Sammet returned to Edguy, and continued to show why power metal just somes naturally to him.
This is a consistent, catchy and highly enjoyable collection of energetic tunes which are not groundbreaking or hugely variable, but just keep the fun rolling along with their grabbing melodies and vigorous playing.  Highlights include the opening "Tears Of A Mandrake", "All The Clowns", the more thrash-styled "Nailed To The Wheel" and "The Pharaoh", but there's plenty more to like here from a talented band, led by a young man who knows what he wants, know what the fans want, and knows how to bring it all together.
Still don't like their name though.

****1/2

Heavenly - Sign Of The Winner (2001)

Heavenly's second album is a fine power metal release, of which I have slight reservations, mainly to do with Ben Sotto's singing. Talk about over the top. Yes, I know, heavy metal screaming is nothing new, and maybe I've been listening to too many more... er... calm vocals lately, but I think the problem is more than just his hysterics. At times, he almost tries so hard, his voice starts to disappear and get drowned out by everything else.
And there's a lot going on during these consistently fast, sometimes very melodious numbers as they sing about such things as being kidnapped by aliens ("Destiny"), looking after the Earth ("The World Will Be Better"), facing death (both "Condemned To Die", and it's follow up, "The Angel"), mankind of the future fighting machines ("Still Believe"), facing life positively ("Words Of Change") and the lamenting of war (the concluding "Until The End").
It's hard to get bored with it all, as everything is done so well, and is undeniably infectious.  If only the vocal side of things was a bit more stable.

****

Human Fortress - Lord Of Earth And Heavens Heir (2001)

Another band with not a lot of output over their career, German act Human Fortress brought out this debut in 2001, and it's good, but it could have been great, if more songs had matched its two higlights (both which come early), the lilting "Lord Of Earth and Heavens Heir" and, in particular, the flying "Divine Astonomy." What follows is reasonable ("Damned To Bedlam" is pretty good), without being enormously memorable.

***

Domine - Stormbringer Ruler - The Legend Of The Power Supreme (2001)

So far, I've thought I should enjoy Domine more than I do, but this, their third album, is certainly their best to date. They continue their "Chronicles Of The Black Sword" saga in grandiose, sweeping style, and there are enjoyable pieces, like "Horn Of Fate" and the dramatic conclusion, "Dawn Of A New Day - The Chronicle Of The Black Sword, The End Of An Era Part 4", although it's a bit disappointing that the song "The Ride Of The Valkyries", while having a snippet of that great Wagner classical piece, doesn't do more with it, considering the title.
In any event, this is really good power metal; typical in many ways, and not amongst the best, but certainly worthy of a fan's time.

***1/2

Guardians Of Time - Edge Of Tomorrow (2001)

Norweigan band Guardians Of Time really immerse themselves in cheesiness, with the members, the self-acclaimed "Guardians Of Time", giving themselves names like Rune, Dag-Ove and... hold on... maybe they're their real names.
Whoopsie...
Anyway, I was not impessed initially with this debut, but it's grown on me quite a bit.  It's consistently fast (no ballads), and with a few melodies which are reasonable, including "Payback", "Edge Of Tomorrow" and "As The Morning Rise", the latter of which seems to be about child abuse - a rare topic for a power metal band, unless the child in question is an elf.
At the time of writing, Guardians Of Time have only brought out two albums since this one, but I think they might be worth discovering. Edge Of Tomorrow is no classic, but what it does, it does well.

***1/2

Arthemis - The Damned Ship (2001)

Italian band Arthemis brought out their debut, CHURCH OF THE HOLY GHOST, in 1999, and I couldn't find it anywhere except YouTube, so I listened to it there - and realised I'd done well not to waste my money. It wasn't very good.
This follow-up is certainly better, but nothing to rave about. The three songs that stick out for me are "Starchild", and the two concluding tracks, "Noble Sword" and "The Damned Ship". The rest are juts rather dull to my ears - mostly fast, which is a plus, but pretty uninteresting melodiously.

**1/2

Axxis - Eyes Of Darkness (2001)

Whethere they're true power metal or not, Axxis are one of the longest running bands on this blog, and while I have enjoyed their material every now and again, I've started to feel rather ho hum when approaching their next offering.
But Eyes Of Darkness is one of their better efforts, proving to be quite enertaining and enjoyable. The highlights include a cover of Aphrodite's Child's early seventies song "The Four Horsemen" (which I'm not familiar with) and "Keep Flying" and, while the record does get a bit rudimentary after a while, it's a good listen all the same.

***

Winterlong - Valley Of The Lost (2001)

Swedish band Winterlong is another band with a name I love (and I love the cover of this debut as well), and on looking at the members, they also look remarakbly young and, with a couple of them, rather pudgy.
But what about the music?
Well, I can't say I was very impressed at first, with sometimes quite long instrumental passages that rarely do a lot for me, and Hussni Mörsare's growling vocals (not death growls) are a bit of an aquired taste, but Valley Of The Lost has grown on me somewhat, partly because of the quiet, haunting keyboards that hover in the background, bringing some resonance to such songs as the self-proclaiming "Winterlong", "Valley Of The Lost" and, in particular, the rather enchanting "Mystery Of Life". I'm really growing to love that last one.
It's unlikely this album will ever become a favourite, but there is something about it I like (its relatively short running time of about forty-five minutes helps too), so I think it will continue to please to a certain degree. Whether the band can work on this effort remains to be seen.
Well, remains to be seen by me.  Yet.

***

Royal Hunt - The Mission (2001)

After going on a bit of a downer with their previous FEAR, Royal Hunt return to form with this album, which is based on Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles". I'm not particularly familiar with Bradbury's work, but it makes for an interesting listen (although I still can't warm to Jon West's voice as much as I did that of DC Cooper), and while the music has few surprises for anyone with this band's sound (there are seven songs mixed in with six shorter pieces, and the choruses pretty much all follow the same pattern and style), it's still enjoyable, and those who like the familiar should be quite content with this one.  I was.

***1/2

Nostradameus - The Prophet Of Evil (2001)

Now this is more like it. Nostradameus' second album is a winner, both because of the music and the story. The latter is pretty straight forward, that of an evil prophet who kills a king, and his princely son who takes an army to avenge him.  But it's nice to have one of these concept pieces which is easy to follow, helped by lyrics that are easy to read! Too many metal CDs are released with horrible fonts, colours and/or backgrounds, making the words incredibly hard to follow.
The music, which is often fast and furious, starts of wonderfully, with the likes of "Hymn To Theese Lands", "Evil Prophecies" and "Murder". What follows can't quite match them, but it's still good enough, and the story remains a definite plus.
The Prophet Of Evil is certainly not the best music power metal has to offer, but it is up in the higher bracket.

****

Kamelot - Karma (2001)

With the last couple of albums I've listened to, I've had to try and "push" myself to really appreciate them, and the eventual three and a half star ratings I have given to them have been more along the line of "I'm sure they are really good, and I should be able to really appreciate them one day", rather than from actual, genuine enjoyment.  As a result, I've been feeling a bit dejected about my whole power metal endeavour.
So can Kamelot come to the rescue?
To a degree. In the end, I'm giving this album the same rating I gave Elvenking and Sonata Arctica, but I certainly enjoyed this more, and found it far more accessable. Such songs as "Forever" and "Across The Highlands" are amongst the band's best work, while the ballad "Don't You Cry" (devoted to guitarist Thomas Youngblood's father, who died when Thomas was very young) is very nice, and Khan's voice is excellent throughout. No, this is still no classic in my view, but it is a very worthy listen from a group who has got gradually better as their career has grown.

***1/2

Sonata Arctica - Silence (2001)

I liked Sonata Arctica's debut ECLIPTICA, without being overly excited by it, and this follow-up is a more complex effort, with touches of progressive, that makes it more of a journey to get into; there's no "Fullmoon" here. But there is still much to like, and the boys are obviously very talented at what they do. I think this will have to go in the "should get more out of it when I listen to it more" list. Sonata Arctica aren't one of my favourite power metal bands at the moment, but they're certainly worth the indulgence.

***1/2

Elvenking - Heathenreel (2001)

This is indeed a curious one. Elvenking are a band from Italy, and they combine a very strong element of folk and progressive metal with their power, and even incorporate death growls every now and again, although these are thankfully kept to a minimum.
It all comes together in a bizarre, wild, almost uncontrolled way that makes it really hard to get into, and yet it remains fascinating throughout. My Christian beliefs do have me struggling with the album title, and also song titles like "Pagan Purity", but there's good will to burn here all the same.
It's hard to listen to this and not picture dwarves dancing around a campfire (or should that be elves?), and while the record really comes across as something of a hodgepodge initially, there is much to discover here, and I hope I eventually come across more treasures within its grooves.

***1/2

Burning Point - Salvation By Fire (2001)

From a Finnish power metal band which play steady more than really fast rock, this album is very listenable, but not very exciting, with a vocalist (also guitarist and principal songwriter Pete Ahonen) who is a bit annoying, due to his wobbles.  As their name and the album title suggests (snazzy cover), they're very much into fire and all that, concentrating on the battle between good and evil, it seems.  Sometimes the lyrics come across as more on the evil side than others of their ilk (there's even a quote in the liner notes from Aleister Crowley), but they don't sound like that so much.
Overall, Burning Point are reasonable, but have not particularly grabbed my attention with this release.

**1/2

Iced Earth - Horror Show (2001)

I'm a horror fan, so an album with songs devoted to different horror films/characters has an appeal for me straight away. And this is classic horror; no Jason, Freddy or Michael here (leave that to death metal). Rather, we have Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man and even the Creature From The Black Lagoon, although it might seem a bit puzzling to include Jack The Ripper here, since he was factual, wasn't he?
I've never been a big Iced Earth fan, although their previous album, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, won me over more than the ones before it.  The music here (with drummer Richard Christy making his debut) is quite good, something that I find myself getting into the more I listen to it, but it's the topics that really make it for me, and make it jump from a good album to a very good one.

***1/2

Steel Attack - Fall Into Madness (2001)

Steel Attack's second album is something of an improvement over their first, with some terrific riffing and such like, and quite positive lyrics, but the songs themselves still aren't all that great. Still, they show a bit of melodious progression in "Wings Of Faith", and it's a pretty enjoyable listen overall.

**1/2