Here we have this German bands most anticipated records to date. It has
been four years since we heard a studio peep out of this band. The
record opens up with a traditional sounding BG song called “This Will
Never End”. Some great melodic sounds mixed with the thrash and shred
just really kick ass and the orchestrated like sounds kill you. Nice
first track. “Otherland” begins with heavy orchestration and the band
are dabbling more in the lands covered by bands like Rage and they come
up with their nice little blend. I liked the fact that it stayed very
metal while being super melodic. This song also stays on an up tempo.
“Turn the Page” goes more in a Celtic zone and they just serve up some
inspired mythological, this is some adventurous and very cool music
that I am hearing. They single “Fly” is here to boot. This was one of
the songs released to promote the album way ahead of time. Very
different sounding metal is played here. “Carry the Blessed Home” is so
much more on a sweeter side and is very heartfelt. This just sounds so
majestic and colossal. Who this album has some serious heart to it. Get
ready for soaring vocals and blends of metal with more folk like sounds
and much more. “Another Stranger Me” is a track that has a darker
jamming vibe to it and it tends to stay up-tempo. “Straight Through The
Mirror” is another well written piece of metal. They thrash is very
evident. “Lionheart” is what you may say has some experimenting and
just bangs it right across. The drumming is certainly another killing
force. I love Hansi’s vocals, they are so distinctive, and you know it
is him. “Skalds & Shadows” is more on a Romanic and sweeter side.
You could swear you are listening to a Robin Hood soundtrack, WOW! This
is wickedly cool. “The Edge” serves more of the technology as is
steadily builds up in a cool heavy metal way. Guitars fire away! This
one has the guitars riffs just throwing fists of fury. “The New Order”
brings this record down in a more down and sonic way with some metal
tenderness. They have definitely come back with a cool winner and did
not let the fans of the heavy down.
