Former Dionysus drummer Ronny Milianowicz started this band. He joined forces with bass player Nobby Noberg, along with guitar player Toya Johansson and last but not least lead singer Jan Thore Grefstad (Highland Glory). He started the band because he wanted to play darker, less happy-metal songs. Together with producer Jens Bogren (Symphony X, Opeth, Katatonia, Dionysus) they recorded their debut album.
People, who know the song "Glorious", a song written for the World championship soccer team in Sweden, might not be familiar with the fact that besides Joacim Cans and Uli Kusch, Ronny was involved in the song writing as well. Not too strange that this record contains some excellent songs. In songs as "The Burden", "Deamons" and "My Judas" you can hear his roots. Decent and well composed songs with resemblance of Dionysus and Helloween. So far nothing new under the sun. The single "My Heart" (hello Royal Hunt) is a very sweet sing-a-long song, which can be played on every radio-station, except maybe the short fast part with the solo in the middle.
What makes this album then different and darker? Songs like "In the Shadows Lost from the Grave", "The Burden"(with aggressive high vocals), "Ride Forever", "Black Symphony" and "The Brave Never Bleeds" are all rather heavy songs that remind me a lot of the band Nocturnal Rites. Talking about Nocturnal Rites, the singing of Jan is on these songs style wise a lot like Jonny Lindqvist, and there is nothing wrong with him!!!!
After the average ballad "My Sorrow", “Run for Your Life” a mid-tempo track with crunching guitars on a layer of keyboards, a an epic song in Stratovarius style ends the record. I do not hear the darker material in all of the songs, therefore there are to much happy songs still involved. But I also like happy songs and together with the more darker/aggressive songs this is a good start of 2008. If you like Helloween, Dionysus and Nocturnal Rites I think you should give this one a try. If you are into power metal in general, this is a good buy! Other power metal bands have their job cut out to beat this.
The artwork is impeccable.
