Perpetual Etude - Now Is The Time (CD/LP)

 

Swedish band Perpetual Etude boasts former members of bands like Dionysus, Treasure Land, Air Raid, Nation, Stormwind etc. Musically Perpetual Etude is actually not that far from any of them (except maybe Air Raid). Opening track “I’ve Got The Power” immediately kicks off with a Strat that really sounds like Yngwie Malmsteen, but keeping in mind what Mr Malmsteen has released in the last couple of years, this sounds way more interesting. They are touching on neo-classic metal, but with a big dose of classic melodic metal/hard rock and I’d place them somewhere alongside Alkatrazz. Singer, Kristian Fyhr, is a gem with really powerful vocal cords, high pitch but with a nice raspy edge. Me like!  ”Show Me” reminds me of Graham Bonnet era Rainbow a bit, but with a bit more power under the hood. A strong touch of AOR, but without sounding sleazy. “Straight Through The Heart” starts off with some really nice guitar harmonies from the excellent shredder Magnus Mild and if Yngwie didn’t have a big dose of hybris, he would kill for a song like this. Magnus is also found in mega project Gathering Of Kings, but if I’m honest, I do prefer Perpetual Etude. Not putting GoK down, but they sometimes feel a bit scattered and unfocused while this album has a common thread and high quality all the way, both musically and performance wise. “Once We Were One” again throws in some Yngwie-souding Strat licks and it also flirts with the man musically. It does remind me quite a bit of Europe’s old “Scream Of Anger” (which was written by Marcel Jacob, hence the obvious Yngwie touch). There are similarities, yes, but it does stand on its own legs. This band’s Jens Johansson is Kaspar Dahlqvist who has previously played with prog metal band Treasure Land. On this album he sure shows his skills and there are several really nice keyboard-guitar interplays, such as in the neo-classical “Hell Fire Burn”. As if this wasn’t enough, we also find a guest appearance by former Yngwie (and many more) singer, Göran Edman in the song “Sail Away”. All in all, if you’re into classic hard rock, melodic metal with strong melodies, shredding guitar/keyboard work, solid production and some neo-classical vibes, don’t hesitate!

/Janne Stark

Year: 2021

Label: Black Lodge

Stygian Fair – Equilibrium (CD)

 

Stygian Fair from Umeå, Sweden, made their debut in 2017 with the EP ”Into The Coven” and the year after they released the debut album “Panta Rei”, followed by “Nadir” in 2019. Now they have produced their third album “Equilibrium”. I shall admit I have totally missed out on the band’s previous releases, but after having digested this album, they definitely need to be investigated! The album starts with “The Covenant”. I had my fears this could be some bland power metal, but wrong was I. Sure, you could probably file this under “power metal”, but it has a healthy dose of classic hard rock merged into it and I also got some nice vibes of early Queensrÿche in the opening track. I really like that singer Pontus Åkerlund doesn’t fall into the power metal trap with wailings and high pitch yelling. He has a really solid voice, and his way of singing is more theatrical, almost tale telling with a really nice melodic feel. He kinda made me think of Christian Liljegren of Narnia, but with less vibrato and his own touch. “Gorgon’s Eyes” continues in the same vein while “Into The Light” takes it down to both heavier and softer regions. I almost had a feel of Manilla Road meets Brocas Helm, which is fine in my book. If someone had just played me this album, I would’ve had a hard time determining when it was recorded. It may as well have been the late eighties. “Infinitum et Finis” is also quite theatrical in its sound, with nice melodies and different parts that makes a nice change. It actually made me think of US band Legend (with the album “From The Fjords”). “Dark Angel” picks up the tempo a bit and here are some nice progressive retro vibes going on. Pontus sings really well with a nice feel and powerful voice. Great stuff, indeed! “Father Of Light” takes it down again, and here I kinda got a feel of old US metal band Culprit. The production, by Nils Johansson, is really good with a nice analogue feel to it. Besides Pontus, the band features Anders Hedman on bass, Emil Holmqvist on guitar and P-O Jonsson on drums. The closing title track is a real masterpiece with some really nice changes in tempo and feel. The album contains nine tracks, and I can’t find any weak links. A really even and good album that should attract fans of bands like Manilla Road, Culprit as well as Iron Maiden and vintage Queensrÿche.

/Janne Stark

Year: 2021

Label: Sonic Age

Eynomia – Break Free (CD)

I will admit I’m not a big fan of power metal or symphonic metal bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation, especially when the vocals become too “operatic”. I do, however, have a soft spot for some stuff by bands such as Evanescence, but they are a bit too uneven to really grab me. Well, despite these slightly off-turning facts, for some reason, Eynomia really did grab me! They do have elements of power metal and they and Evanescence do have lots of common denominators, but there’s still something different with this band that I really like. Singer Phyllis Rutter is not a high pitch operatic singer but has a more smooth and classic rock touch to her voice, which fits like a glove with the music. I’d also say Eynomia has picked a thing or two from bands like Fates Warning and Symphony X (maybe because basist Mike LePond is in the band as well) to blend into the symphonic rock mix, making it more appealing to fans of prog-oriented metal. It’s melodic yet not poppy or overly commercial. Chris Bickley (Thunderhead) does a great job giving the lead guitars an extra edge as well. There’s some kick ass solos and really nice acoustic work going on here. The songs range from heavy, almost Queensryche oriented stuff like “Let It Go” and “Till We Meet Again” to soft and atmospheric ballads like “Through Your Eyes” with Bickley channeling his inner Roger Gilmour here and there. However, the song I feel could really hit home with fans of Evanescence is “Someday Maybe”. A killer track indeed! Could be a hit! Great production, great musicians and high-quality song material! Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Label: Pure Legend

Year: 2018

Country: USA

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Link: www.eynomiaband.com

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

AXENSTAR – Where Dreams Are Forgotten (CD)

Swedish power metal band Axenstar have been around for quite some time now. They started out as a cover band back in 1998 and made their first album in 2002. I must say they have evolved quite nicely by each album. Singer Magnus Winterwild started out as the band’s keyboardist, but his decision to become a singer was a really good one as his clean and strong voice fits the slightly progressive power metal perfectly. To be honest, my interest for power metal has more or less vanished the last couple of years, due to over exposure, probably ;-). However, while listening to “When Dreams Are Forgotten” I do realize there’s actually still some good power metal out there as well. The reason why Axenstar slips my through the net for me, is probably because 1. They lean a bit more towards the proggier side, which gives me a vibe of Pagan’s Mind. 2. They skip all the major scale happy lucky sing-a-long choruses that give me the shivers. A great and fat production by the band and Pelle Saether also gives the album a bump in the right direction. Then there are songs like the excellent “Curse Of The Tyrant” which sounds a bit like if you would mix Candlemass and Helloween, power metal with quite doomy riffs. Nice! Not bad at all, especially for a power metal album.

Janne Stark

Year: 2014
Label: Inner Wound
Country: Sweden

NOCTURNAL ALLIANCE - The 3rd Phase Of Destruction (CD)

Nocturnal Alliance was formed in 2004 by former Twilight/Beyond Twilight members Micke Därth and Henrik Johansson. Before this Därth also recorded with the band Detest. Prior to this release Nocturnal Alliance has released a couple of demos, which I haven’t heard (unfortunately). This was however a nice surprise. The band has borrowed former Axia/Leviticus singer Peo Pettersson, a singer/guitarist who has released some solo stuff in a far more poppy AOR vein. Here he gets a chance to show his metal edge, which he should do more often. There are also guest appearances from Janne Ström (Slug) and Linus Abrahamsson (Mister Kite/The Codex).
“The 3rd Phase Of Destruction” is a nice power pack of progressive metal in the vein of bands like Shadow Gallery or a more light weight (technically, that is) Symphony X. It may not be filled with shredding guitar solos, but the ones that are there, they rock! The songs are very well-arrangements and keeps the listener interested all the way through. Nice changes of pace and rhythms, without being over-proggy. It’s on the other hand quite dramatic and almost Wagnerian in the approach at times, which makes me think a bit about the long lost Psychotic Waltz at times. The second last track is the wonderful prog-ballad “With” with female guest vocals by Michelle (no last name, I’m afraid), only overshadowed by the even better final track “How I’m Dead”, another very dramatic ballad that builds up to a crescendo. My only complaint would be the production which lacks a bit of ambience and power. It’s not bad, by any means, but I can only imagine what this would sound like in the hands of someone like Neil Kernon. Anyway, a great CD well worth investing in for fans of melodic and progressive high class metal.
Janne Stark
Year: 2009
Label: Private
Country: Sweden
Link: www.myspace.com/nocturnalalliancesweden