So I thought about doing a regular Anniversary Article for this year, but I noticed that most of what I'd end up covering was just power metal. Now, sure, there were other things going on, but between HammerFall, Edguy, Stratovarius, Kamelot, Nightwish, Helloween, and Symphony X, the genre would have definitely dominated the article.
And yet, as I was looking around, I discovered there were three more power metal albums that were kinda important that I hadn't listened to before. So yeah, we're doing epic fantasy metal anyway! I figured instead of talking about how much I love Legacy of Kings or Oceanborn for several paragraphs, having some reviews would be the better choice. Turns out 1998 was just simply an incredible year for power metal!
While I have reviewed some of this iconic band's more recent albums, I haven't talked much about their discography as I haven't listened to much of it. I did listen their first album before I started this blog, but I found it to be just okay. However, this article gives me a chance to follow up with their second album, and I think it's quite the improvement.
As usual, the band has a story tell: a chosen hero of the northern lands is on a quest to find the legendary Emerald Sword from a gothic tower so that he can defeat the evil armies of the black lord that are threatening the Enchanted Lands. Oh, and he rides a dragon through most of it. So at least the cover art is on point. Musically, it's another exercise in symphonic power metal bombast, with layers of orchestrations boosting the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals to another level of melodrama. While these orchestrations are clearly synthesizers, they don't sound to bad, making me think of a 90s PlayStation RPG, and they work to give the album the fantasy charm they need. The one thing that did stand out was all the classical music stylings, invoking the likes of Mozart and Bach for some sections, while others featured more medieval folk music elements. The tone and tempo can also change at the drop of a hat, sometimes, making for a chaotic listen. Nevertheless, the power metal was still there, with plenty of double-kicking bass drums and shredding solos.
For what it's worth, I wasn't bored with it, even if it's pretty much the same sound that the band has been doing for decades now. While none of the individual songs stuck with me, it mostly holds together as it tells this chapter of the Emerald Sword Saga, flowing from section to section pretty well. It's easy to hear how this influenced later bands like Dragonland and Twilight Force, with its melodramatic and operatic pretentions. I don't know if the band will ever be one of my favorites of the genre, I can certainly appreciate the effort they make, with their complex arrangements and dedication to telling their stories.
Given that I've listened to their first two albums now, their third lined up quite well to be reviewed for this article. And since I enjoyed those so much, I was looking forward to the last of the Andre Matos era of the band. Unfortunately, I don't think this one is as strong as the others.
For what it's worth, there certainly are some interesting ideas, as they blend their power and prog influences into something more cohesive across the album, combining the high speed riffing with some mixed meter sections. However, this ends up making the songs feel kind of sloppy and disorganized. The production was a bit iffy as well, as it would get a bit muddy from time to time, and the drums lacked the impact of the earlier albums. I liked moments here and there, but there really wasn't a song that felt strong all the way through. I'm even a tad disappointed that "Mystery Machine" had nothing to do with Scooby-Doo.
With Bittencourt and Loureiro, there's plenty of solid riffing and shredding the album, and Matos sounds solid, though maybe a touch less inspired as before. The songs are certainly dynamic, often shifting tempos mid-track, and showing both their high speed technical work as well as their melodratic side with more ballad-like segments. "Wings of Reality" is a decent opener, showing their diversity of ideas, and "Speed" is a solid uptempo closer. However, as a whole, I feel rather lukewarm about the album. Maybe I just got my hopes up too high after enjoying the first two.
After having enjoyed their recent album, even getting into my Top 5 for last year, it was time to get back to the grind through their discography, and once again, this article gave me a good chance. This album is probably the best known and most highly acclaimed from the band by fans, and I can see why, as there is a maturity here that wasn't on the previous albums. While I don't know if I'll call it a power metal masterpiece (as my favorites still loom large), they definitely pushed themselves to new places with this one, going for big concept and giving it their all.
While this band has certainly covered fantasy literature before, this one is a full-on concept album based on the stories of the First Age of Middle-Earth as told in the Silmarillion (yes, I have read the book, so I knew what these songs were talking about). It's not a comprehensive retelling, as there are so many stories there, but it covers a lot of the bigger moments, starting with a flash-forward to Morgoth's imminent defeat before going back over what led up to this moment. Chronologically, it jumps around a bit, but thematically, it focuses on the themes and emotions of the stories rather than the plot or details. The result is a lot of songs about revenge and tragedy, with the occasional bittersweet triumph, and the music follows it all perfectly.
Once again, the band have outdone themselves musically, drifting from epic orchestral bombast to somber ballad to aggressive metal riffing to folk melodies. Oh, and a heavy dash of Queen, of all things. The lyrics are often layered like "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the guitars throw in a handful of Brian May-isms here and there. André Olbrich guitar solos are also a stand-out, often shreddy, but never losing the melodies and hooks, and occasionally throwing in a folky lilt. And Hansi Kürsch lays it all out, going from somber to epic to triumphant to tortured all through the album, matching the emotions of the stories they're telling. "The Eldar" in particular stands out as an example of his range, as at first it's just a soft piano ballad before he explodes with energy and emotion at the end. If there are any hiccups, I'd say it's with the songwriting. While some of it is great, there are times where they suddenly shake things up with some odd transitions and mixed meter segments, making some of the songs a little too chaotic for their own good. The little interludes also feel a little excessive, but I don't think they interrupt the flow the album much.
I won't deny that, as a big nerd, I have been kind of looking forward to hearing this album, as how often have there been epic concept albums based on the works of Tolkien, let alone the Silmarillion? I definitely enjoyed this romp through Beleriand, with "Into the Storm," "Mirror Mirror," "Time Stands Still," and "When Sorrow Sang," as the stand out tracks for me. Overall, it's a solid album, and probably their best that I've heard so far, but I've still got another five albums to check out. There's still just so much to look forward to!
So there you have 1998. I'm sure there were other good or important albums that came out this year, but as a massive power metal fan, I couldn't help myself, I guess. As always, there's a playlist below, as well as a comment section if you feel like I've missed something from the year. Until then, rock on! \m/
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