Time for some album reviews! I'm finally catching up to some new releases, and this time, it's all power metal!! There's been some solid stuff released this year, and it's great to hear that this style still has a lot going on in it. Here's what I've listened to lately!
Well, I said was going to get this one, and here we are! Just as a recap, Paladine are a power metal band that focus their songs on the D&D Dragonlance setting, which is what got my attention in first place. Right off, there really isn't much that's different than the last album, but the production is definitely better, as things are more balanced between the performers.
Once again, we're back into tracks that are kinda crunchy, kinda melodic, kinda epic. Blind Guardian and classic Dream Evil feel like the main reference points, especially with Protonotarios's grittier vocal delivery. However, these songs are pretty straight-forward power metal, providing a lot of the same vibes multiple times, I feel.
Overall, it's not bad, as it is all generally solid, but the only real stand-out tracks for me are "Entering the Abyss" and the speedy "Hourglass in the Sky." Still, fans of the D&D franchise will find plenty to enjoy, and I'm sure power metal fans will dig the solid atmosphere and slick guitar leads.
I've been a fan of Helloween for a while, but I haven't really caught up with their more recent releases (I've listened to everything up through Better Than Raw). Combined with the fact that they've brought back both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, after touring so successfully together, I wasn't sure quite what to expect. I should have figured that it would feel a lot of classic Helloween, which made me pretty happy.
Sure, some of the songs are on the longer side, due to some intros and prog-lite shifts, but otherwise, anything that one could expect from a Helloween album is all here. The riffs are catchy and melodic, the solos are absolutely spot on, and the double-kicking makes me think it's late-90s power metal all over again. As for the vocals, everyone is on point, though Kai doesn't take too many leads, focusing more on his guitar work. However, they do this one section together on "Fear of the Fallen" where they trade words, and it's amazing!
The album is pretty solid power metal from top to bottom. "Fear of the Fallen" is an incredible track that goes back and forth between high-tempo shredding and more mellow parts. "Mass Pollution" is very anthemic. "Indestructible" has a solid, traditional metal vibe. And "Skyfall" is a great epic like "Halloween" all over again, with a dash of Bowie's "Space Oddity" for good measure. The rest of the tracks are decent as well, without ever getting tedious or monotonous. This might be the best album I've heard this year, so far!
I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I discovered Antti when I came across a track or two of his Northern Steel album on YouTube, I instantly loved it. Epic folk metal that really felt like it was made for his homeland of Finland. Nearly 2 hours of solid awesome. So when I discovered he was busting out his guitars again for another album, I knew I had to give it a listen.
Much of what made Northern Steel so great is here as well, though the folky elements are mostly gone, replaced for a more straight-forward symphonic metal approach, with a few dashes of power metal. However, given the theme of crusaders, there are a few middle-eastern style sections with exotic ouds to expand the soundscape, allowing for a bit of variety as well giving the music even more lush layers to work with. Meanwhile, the guitars are on point, with some huge riffs and leads that are very melodic and tasty. And its hard to go wrong with track names like "Metal Crusade" and "Claymore in the Face"!
If there is a problem is that it insists a certainly level of intensity throughout. While it does have dynamics from section to section, it maintains its epic tone from beginning to end, so it might be a bit much for some folks, especially with the longer tracks. However, I enjoy it quite a bit. I don't know if this will hit my Top 5, but it's a lot of fun to listen to and have on in the background.
When I first heard "Hammerschlag," I knew this would be an album I couldn't ignore. Featuring solid mix of heavy and power metal, this album actually has more going on than one might assume from the album art and power metal name.
First off, I'm just going to say it: they sound like HammerFall, and I mean that in a good way. However, it's definitely an older HammerFall style, making me think of albums like Glory to the Brave and Legacy of Kings, where the leads were more noodly and the songwriting more expansive. Fortunately, these guys are not just a clone, as they bring in a few other influences, like the Iron Maiden-like leads on "Into the Storm," the Manowar-esque epicness on "King of Kings," and the Savatage/TSO vocal rounds at the end "Atlantis (Epilogue)." There's also a good variety in tempo and tone, helping to break things up.
This stuff is really up my alley, as HammerFall is the band that got me into metal. I'm not sure of the acoustic outro "Holy" was really necessary, though, as "King of Kings" was a solid closer. My favorites from this album are the solid opener in "Awaken the Thunder" and of course the memorable, anthemic "Hammerschlag," and the rest of the album keeps it pretty classic. It's a solid effort, one that makes me think I should dig into their back catalog. If I do, you'll be sure I'll review it!
Well, that gets a few off my plate, but there are certainly others, including a few still to come out this year, like Dream Theater and Yes. Hopefully, I can get caught up on all the ones that I want to hear before the end. However, that will make the Top 5 for this year harder to choose! A good problem to have, I suppose. Well, until then, rock on! \m/
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