X

"Royal Hunt" is band ,founded by Moscow-born keyboardist Andre Andersen in Denmark. This is their tens album, and no surprises could be found on it.

Melodic , perfectly recorded, power metal with strong influences from Rainbow and Dream Theater. If not too much prog, songs all have their melodies, are perfectly played, and have their own appeal. For sure, if you're Rainbow fan, or just like old-fashioned melodic power metal. And if you not afraid of songs, named "Army Of Slaves", "King For A Day" or "Shadowman". But you don't need to listen to lyrics though. Just enjoy music and nostalgy coming from early 80-s.(To be honest, I always prefer great Dio in that category, which has much better music in this field, don't speak about vocal).

Quality power metal album with few progressive touches. Real pleasant surprise for genre lovers. For progressive metal fans has very limited value,however.

There is a lot with what I can agree in previous review. However, we differ in opinion how this works in general. Maybe it's because I'm less critic then Slava is, maybe I like Prog Metal more. And from what I heard from bands in this genre, I think that this album maybe has Power Metal elements, but isn't merely Power, which sometimes stands for me as "simplified" Metal (when compared to Prog Metal).

Indeed, there is strong melodic element, in fact it's almost based solely on melodicity and guitar / keyboards solos. Atmosphere is also promising and that also counts. Songs flows easily without single stumbling, as far as I hear, nothing sounds weird. And believe me, the more I dug deep into Prog, the more I lost ability to listen some "normal" Metal groups, like Avantasia (oh maybe I've never been able to listen them). There is no such bad feeling.

Even Back to Square One doesn't fit me in whole composition at all but later on the move to what they master well, melodic Metal on the verge of Prog & Power.

4(-), of course, it could have been better, but also, therefore I would have rate higher.