Kardinal Sin – Victorious (CD)

I shall start by admitting I’m NOT a fan of power metal. Fast pace, double bass drums, big choirs and major scale sing-along choruses verging on the Eurovision Song Contest just isn’t my thing. The opener “Patria (Fatherland)” is dangerously close to this, but manages to avoid the worst cringeworthily pastiches. However, the just run straight into that wall, with second track “Wall Of Stone”, which sounds like something in-between Hammerfall and The Poodles. I really like the verse, but the chorus is just too much Eurovision for me. Before I go on, I must say the band does sound great! Great vocals, killer guitar playing and a fantastic mix by Fredrik Folkare ( as always). “Mastermind” starts out soft, but soon the door is kicked in. This track is a bit more theatrical in its approach and the chorus is way better than the previous tracks. This one is more my bag! The title track is also pretty cool. I really like the cool twists in the verse and this one has sort of a “Phantom Of The Opera” vibe to it. Not bad at all. “Bonaparte” sounds a bit more like the missing link between the aforementioned Hammerfall and Rhapsody. “S.I.N” takes it down a bit with its acoustic intro, but blossoms out into a powerful big ballad. Even though, as I initially stated, this is not really my cup of tea, I think the band does a great job. It’s a high-quality album and fans of power metal should definitely check it out.

Janne Stark

Label: Tramp Music

Year: 2017

Country: Sweden