The album’s first two tracks, ‘Kraven the Hunter’ and ‘Righteous Fury’, leave no doubt that this is a quintessentially high-octane power metal release. The influences of classic power metal bands such as Helloween, HammerFall and Rhapsody of Fire are prevalent throughout. Because of this, Power Paladin doesn’t exactly distinguish itself in terms of originality. This is only a minor complaint however, as the songs are all delivered with undeniable skill and fervour.

The album’s third track ‘Evermore‘ opens with a beautifully melodic piano intro, fooling you into believing that this is a ballad, before the song kicks into high gear. This might be my favourite track on the album, as it features an infectiously catchy chorus with high-pitched vocals. The album’s closing track ‘There Can Be Only One‘ is similar in style, as it begins with a piano intro before revving up. These two tracks offer some welcome variety from the rest of the album and make the omission of any ballad on the album more than welcome.

Some of the tracks on the album also end or begin with some short sound excerpts, which function as connective tissue in between tracks. These sound excerpts range from birds chirping in a forest, to church bells ringing, to firewood crackling, to horses and people walking on some busy market. All of these sound excerpts, in combination with the lyrical content of the songs, help to evoke a medieval setting of fantasy and adventure throughout the album. You can almost imagine yourself being part of some fellowship going on a quest through mystical lands fraught with perils and magic. The tracks ‘Way of Kings‘ and ‘Creatures of the Night‘ are good examples to illustrate this. The cover artwork by James Child, though rather modest, also appropriately illustrates this sense of venturing through a magical kingdom with your companions.

They say you only get one chance to make a first impression and Power Paladin have certainly left a strong one with their debut album. If they can keep up this level of quality on future releases, then I think we can expect some truly great things from these guys.

POWER PALADIN are:
Atli Guðlaugsson | vocals
Ingi Þórisson | guitars
Bjarni Þór Jóhannsson | guitars
Bjarni Egill Ögmundsson | keyboards
Kristleifur Þorsteinsson | bass
Einar Karl Júlíusson | drums

Links