The negatives of When The Aurora Falls...' predecessor are all things of the past here. Main man Vascè's vocals are much better, the production is significantly improved (the guitars actually sound like guitars, while the keyboards compliment them beautifully) and, most of all, the material is outstanding. It doesn't jump out in anthemic and fist-pumping fashion; rather, the songs are graceful and captivating, each one offering deft tunes and undeniable charm, the best including "Frozen Heaven", "We Are Gods" and "Tears Of Darkness". Even the two ballads, "Again" and the concluding "You'll Never Be Lonely" are strong, but it isn't really fair to single out any song, as there really is no major weakness here.
The only critism I do have is the booklet's lyrics are printed on (admittedly pretty) photography of the band in some kind of forest, making them not always easy to read and follow. But from what I have been able to make out, they too have a poetic loveliness about them.
I can't recall experiencing such a major leap of quality from one album to the next from a musical artist in any genre; Highlord have managed it here, and they've become one of my favourite power metal bands in a the space of fifty-five minutes.
****1/2
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