Tag Archives: Helloween

Amberian Dawn – Magic Forest

Posted on by

20131220021934-MFfacebook

It would be fair to say Amberian Dawn is not necessarily the first, or possibly even the fifth or sixth name, you’d think of when throwing the term “Symphonic Power Metal” about (or powerful, melodic metal with classical female vocals, as the band prefer to be described). Their career has flown well and truly under the radar, releasing to date a solid if unspectacular back catalogue with former singer Heidi Parviainen, and the Finnish troupe have yet to have that breakthrough album, or step up in class. A shuffling of the pack has seen the band reunite with several of its former line-up, and bring in the classically trained Päivi “Capri” Virkkunen take over the vocals and lyric writing, and both moves have strengthened their hand significantly.

 

Magic Forest (Napalm) combines up-tempo guitar-driven melodic metal, a stage-musical bent with sweet, catchy, cherry-on-top choruses. Pulling out an unusual trio of Andrew Lloyd-Webber, particularly ‘Memorial’ replete with guest male opera vocals from Markus Nieminen, ABBA (‘Warning’ and ‘Cherish My Memory’) and Nightwish as core sounds, Amberian Dawn also combine classic Helloween and Metallica tinged riffs with a dramatic fantasy narrative feel to their songs.

 

Capri carries a strong, saccharine voice, reminiscent of Anette Olzen, and due to the Doctor Parnassus feel of some of their songs, the Nightwish comparisons that have plagued Amberian Dawn over the years are reinforced at times, both in excellent ‘Son of Rainbow’, and the title track with its dancing Labyrinth (the film) texture. Alongside this ‘Dance of Life’, with its memorable keyboard and guitar patterns, recalls Within Temptation.

 

Magic Forest in and of itself won’t catapult Amberian Dawn to stardom, but it should move them several rungs up the ladder to being a band worth paying some attention to what happens next. Now they’ve found a sound that combines Disney, Phantom of the Opera and symphonic power metal, they are finally finding their niche and developing the playful enchanted touches that give them a more distinctive and interesting sound. Push and develop their cinematic side and it might not be too late for Amberian Dawn to make a name for themselves.

 

7.5/10.0

Amberian Dawn on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY

 

 


Gamma Ray – Empire Of The Undead

Posted on by

gammarayempire1

Kai Hansen almost single-handedly (OK, double-handedly – it’s quite hard to play the guitar with one hand) invented Power Metal as we know and love it today, being the guiding force behind Helloween’s legendary Walls of Jericho (for the thrashier power metal) and Keeper Of The Seven Keys I and II (for all other non-US power metals) tour de forces. In terms of style, since Land Of The Free Gamma Ray have sat firmly between the two, imparting both classics (Somewhere Out In Space, No World Order) and less-than-vital releases (Land Of The Free II, To The Metal).

Like death, taxes, and Max Cavalera dropping names as frequently as you or I drop off the kids, there’s an inevitability about Gamma Ray albums. You know they’re coming , you know exactly what they’re going to sound like and you know you’re going to get to play the #Neknomination rivalling potent drinking game of “Spot The Stolen Riff” (have a shot for each stolen riff on the last 6 Gamma Ray albums and see if you survive), and Empire Of The Undead (earMUSIC) is no different.

Opener ‘Avalon’ is a 9 minute microcosm of all things Gamma Ray. Strong, distinctive riffing, rousing vocals, a powerful chorus, excellent melodic lead-work, grand story-telling… and then some bits stolen from Iron Maiden (though plundering the Brave New World era is a new approach for Hansen). Elsewhere, it’s hard to ignore that ‘Master Of Confusion’ is a mash-up of two Helloween tracks – the Hansen-penned classic ‘I Want Out’ and the post-Hansen ‘Who Is Mr Madman?’ – or that ‘Time For Deliverance’, the obligatory piano ballad, is different words to Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’. While Hansen may keep on fighting to the end (it’s impossible not to substitute the line), there are further lifts from Judas Priest’s ‘All Guns Blazing’ and his own ‘Future World’.

You may find this forgivable; their albums are always enjoyable, always reliable, and tracks like ‘Born To Fly’ with its massive chorus are certainly good Power Metal songs, but for every fiesty ‘Hellbent’ there’s a ploddy ‘Demonseed’, and, ultimately Empire Of The Undead is just A.N.Other Gamma Ray album, with all their usual high-points and failings.

Inevitable, really.

6/10

Gamma Ray on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Edguy – Space Police: Defenders Of The Crown

Posted on by

edguy-space-police-defenders-of-the-crown-84322

Tobias Sammet vocalist, composer, keyboard player and main man of Edguy (he also somehow finds time to do the same for Avantasia) recently stated that Space Police – Defenders of the Crown (Nuclear Blast) is “the album Edguy will be measured against in the future”. A bold statement considering not only do they have a hat-trick of genuine power metal classics in their ten-album canon (Vain Glory Opera, Theater of Salvation and Savage Poetry), but also bearing in mind the German power metal quintet have failed to reach those heights of recent years.

The dual title-tracks wade in early, setting the tone for the album; a bouncy keyboard-line with a hook the size of the Allianz Arena launches ‘Space Police’ bringing things to a great catchy chorus, off to a spacey Bowie inspired midsection; ‘Defenders Of The Crown’ picks up where things left off, a fists-in-the-air call to arms; ‘The Realms Of Baba Yaya’ continues with strong verse and even stronger chorus, all the time chugging guitars underpinning the melodies and hooks, while is ‘Do Me Like A Caveman’ (!) is, surprisingly, a quality Bon Jovi ‘In These Arms’ style semi-serious romantic rocker – those crazy Germans!

Sammet’s vocals are superb throughout, equal parts David Lee Roth, Biff Byford and Hansi Kursch, with an uncanny knack of delivering the silly, the serious, the epic and the cheesy with conviction and emotion, none more so than on ‘Alone In Myself’, a change of pace that wouldn’t be out of place on Magnum’s underrated ‘Wings of Heaven’.

The bar is raised even higher with closer ‘The Eternal Wayfarer’; the result of Sabaton covering Tony Martin era Black Sabbath, wading in with symphonic bombast, before opening its epic arms to bring the album home victorious.

Elsewhere, full credit has to go to the Van Halenesque ‘Love Tyger’, a simply great rock anthem that would have dominated MTV in years gone by and will stick in your head for years, while the cover of Falco’s ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ works better than it has any right to.

While Helloween’s Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums may have been the starting point for power metal, Edguy have defined their own, more Hard Rock take on the sound and Space Police forces mouth muscles to grin and horns to be raised as it serves up a slew of hooks, choruses and a joie de vivre, a feeling of unashamed joy, all the way through. Sammet’s bold statement is more than backed up. Space Police is the best power metal album since Sabaton’s Carolus Rex, and Edguy’s best since Theater of Salvation.

9/10

Edguy on Facebook

Steve Tovey


Powerwolf – Preachers Of The Night

Posted on by

Powerwolf-Preachers-Of-The-NightCorpse-painted Germans Powerwolf have never been a band to do things by half, and so they prove again on blustering fifth album, Preachers Of The Night (Napalm Records). A play on the KISS album title Creatures Of The Night, Preachers… is an all-out, non-stop charge of metal.Continue reading →