Week 51: Running Wild - Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man)

The artist: Running Wild are a power/traditional metal band from Germany who had written many great albums. Although Rock 'n' Rolf, the main man of the band stuck to what he was familiar with, it's hard to not appreciate all the great songs he's written throughout the years. Even during the later days where the band was losing inspiration and hired a drummer under a pseudonym named Angelo Sasso, Rolf still managed to write some excellent songs. Siberian Winter and The Ghost from The Brotherhood and Return of the Dragon and Ballad of William Kidd from The Rivalry should ensure that. Rolf would declare retirement of the band in 2009 but has recently announced a return along with a new album coming out in April named Shadowmaker.

The album: Black Hand Inn is the 1994 album from Running Wild which follows the same similar style to Pile of Skulls. These releases were less raw than their predecessors and had a more polished feel to them. Not that it's a bad thing or anything since it breathed some fresh air in their music. Like Pile of Skulls, there were many fast songs found throughout the album. Black Hand Inn even kicks off the record in a similar way to Pile of Skulls where it build up with an intro track and them BAM, you're launched into a speed metal craze. With essentials like The Privateer and even some gems with Fight the Fire of Hate, The Phantom of Black Hand Hill and Powder & Iron, you can forget the babbling from Allmusic who actually gave this album 1.5 stars and acknowledge great effort from this release.

The song: Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man) starts off with a spoken verse explaining the events of the 12th planet from over 400,000 years ago, based on Zecharia Sitchin's work on ancient astronauts. Zecharia Sitchin's efforts weren't looked upon well for mistranslations, flawed methodology and a few other things but Rock 'n' Rolf saw something from it and made a 15 minute song dedicating to Sitchin's series. Even if the lyrical theme will irk you, it's hard to deny the greatness of the band's talents. Rock 'n' Rolf assisted with Thilo Hermann on guitars make some really good performance. Rock 'n' Rolf does make a huge domination with the song (well, it is his band) with his vocals and telling the band which direction to take throughout. With the climatic changes around six minutes in and ten minutes in, you can see a lot was done for this song and damn, that very riff at 10:40 is one hell of a headbanger and a good use of the galloping. Several high and mighty solos are found throughout the song and even though the beginning verse adds a few minutes to the song before it even began, Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man) is one song of great attention that will last through all 15 minutes of its duration.

Week 49: Sonata Arctica - The Power of One

The artist: For the last month of 2011, we'll be covering the grand finales of metal albums that exceed the 10 minute mark and there is no better way to conclude Monday Metal Treasures than to cover the magnificent album closers. Starting off, we have Sonata Arctica. These guys are one of the most notable power metal bands out there who started in 1996. They quickly rose into popularity amongst the power metal world and the lead singer Tony Kakko has found himself appearing in various other bands including Van Canto, Epica and even Stratovarius! Sonata Arctica have offered several great albums. Even the weakest efforts that are Unia and The Days of Grays still have their moments. However, if they want to climb up the ladder even further, they will need to offer something that's a huge step up from the said albums.

The album: Silence is Sonata Arctica's second album that offers many tracks. There's a total of 15 unique songs including the bonus track. Silence comes with many great songs from them such as Weballergy and The End of This Chapter. San Sebastian (Revisited) and Wolf & Raven are what should be considered essentials from them, despite them not even playing any songs from this album at the show in Manchester back in March. The record isn't perfect, though since there could have been a track or two cut off to give the album an even better flow. There is one too many ballads here but if you can get over that, you've got yourself a great power metal album.

The song: The Power of One starts off with sounds of rain and then the keyboards adding a little extra to the moody weather. Jani Liimatainen plays an acoustic guitar that stands out well but it's not long until the lyrics begin and Tony Kakko makes his introduction. The song goes through a few changes throughout the time. Also from Jani comes some impressive riffs and leads that are heard within only three minutes in. Halfway through is where the song settles down and shows some emotional voices from Tony with some unsettling keyboards. The band picks off again showing some keyboard solos and then even more powerful singing skills from Tony. If you have any doubts about this man, let them rest right here as he puts the verses up a few notches. Even the rest of the band have to keep up with him and they only rest once the song makes the grand finale.

Tony makes one more impressive show with his multilayer of vocals and show what he can do with his one voice. The song's lyrics are about Adam and Eve's songs Cain and Abel and while it's based on a religious story, what was taken from the bible can turn into a mighty story from a mere song. Overall, The Power of One stands as one of the finest Sonata Arctica songs ever made. With many changes throughout 10 minutes of this song and showing some great vocal capabilities of Tony Kakko, this song should be essential for their live shows.

Week 44: Helloween - Giants

The artist: So much can be said about this great band. Helloween are highly considered to be the pioneers for power metal and have influenced many bands from it. They had their golden days in the 80s with Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath on guitars, Michael Kiske on vocals (after Walls of Jericho), Markus Grosskopf on bass and Ingo Schwichtenberg on drums. They were at full force with the Keeper albums but Kai Hansen sadly left due to unhappiness with his position in the band and formed Gamma Ray later on (a great band regardless of this event). Kiske and Schwichtenberg would leave the band as well after Chameleon making Weikath and Grosskopf the only remaining founding members of Helloween. Sadly, Schwichtenberg committed suicide a few years later due to further depression with his mental issues.

Andi Deris replaced Kiske and has remained a loyal member ever since. Some may not like Mr Deris but personally, he's a great vocalist who has a unique character to him. The fact that Helloween have lived on today despite the fallout in 1993 and the unthinkable change of direction for The Dark Ride shows how strong this one particular band are. Maybe they should have gone under a different name due to how different they sound now in comparison to the 80s but that argument is for another day. Today is Halloween and it's only appropriate to talk about Helloween on this day.

The album: Chameleon is Helloween's controversial album. With the poor success they had with Pink Bubbles Go Ape, an experimental album wasn't the best decision to keep the band stable. Michael Weikath even admitted to wanting to make this like a Beatles album and does acknowledge how farfetched his idea was. Even so, this album wasn't all bad. It doesn't deserve to be at the bottom of the barrel along with Metallica's St. Anger and Cryptopsy's The Unspoken King. Although there are songs such as Crazy Cat and I Believe that don't really work well, there are still some great tunes that deserve respect and that is why Chameleon is the featured album out of 14 different albums to choose from (counting the Helloween EP).

The song: Giants is one of the few songs that sounds more along traditional Helloween but still taking some experimental routes. The songs offers the listener some heavy riffage and some solos throughout the song are nicely done when they are launched in the air. Credit has to be given to Weikath and Grapow here. Michael Kiske's voices have an echo to them and gives off quite a mood to the song. The song even incorporates some keyboards, even though there's never been a member in Helloween to play them full-time. These keyboards match the lyrics to the song quite well which is about slavery and the corrupted power of the rulers. It also shows how much they abused their people and makes the slaves hope for a better place to see someday. Overall, Giants is one song that shouldn't be ignored from Chameleon because it's a song that makes corrupted leaders fearsome and it's a damn rocking tune. Happy Halloween!

Week 42: Savage Circus - Waltz of the Demon

The artist: Savage Circus was founded by former Blind Guardian drummer Thomas Stauch after his disatisfaction with the new musical direction with Blind Guardian. He formed the band with Iron Savior and Persuader members including Iron Savior guitarist Piet Sielck (who traits all the way back to Kai Hansen with Gentry in 1978) and Persuader vocalist Jens Carlsson. From this band, Thomas Stauch wanted the band to sound like Blind Guardian during the Imaginations From the Other Side days. Sadly, after one album Thomas fell to long term sickness and eventually leave Savage Circus, thus defeating the main reason to even form this band in the first place.

The album: Dreamland Manor is Savage Circus' first album containing many great power metal tracks such as the speed metal opener Evil Eyes, the album's ballad Beyond Reality and slightly more complex tracks with Ghost Story and Waltz of the Demon. With Jens' voice sounding very much like Hansi Kursch and Persuader's musical style being similar to Blind Guardian, this is the ideal album for Thomas Stauch and how he wanted to sound mid era Blind Guardian. This may be a Blnd Guardian rip off but this was formed by a former member of the band so there's every right to immitate their style with this album.

The song: Waltz of the Demon starts off with a dark acoustic intro speaking about solitude and illusions. The song strikes with a heavy riff that can rival with the heaviness Blind Guardian provided in Follow the Blind. The prebridge, bridge and chorus sections shows some multi-layering that Blind Guardian (again) have done with the later albums but it all works here. The true highlight of the song is the section after the second time the prebridge-bridge-chorus part is played. Emil Norberg (of Persuader) and Piet Sielck play along together on their guitars for some impressive solos but it isn't too long when the song gets even heavier at 5 minutes in with a crushing riff and yet more solos. The song required to repeat the prebridge-bridge-chorus one more time to finish things off. Overall, Waltz of the Demon offers different sections of the song that make it worth listening to over and over again and if you're one of those who aren't fond of Blind Guardian's music post-Nightfall, hopefully this makes up for the wind of change in Hansi Kursch's band.

Week 40: Angra - Unholy Wars

The artist: Angra are one of the key metal bands from Brazil along with Sepultura (although they don't have as much fame as them). They've released some killer releases such as Temple of Shadows and Rebirth, a personal favourite. The band would take a more progressive approach with the later releases. However, the change of direction wasn't done well when they recorded Aqua. It was a poor record and had a huge lack of energy and passion. Angra need to listen to Rebirth and remember what made them great.

The album: Rebirth is Angra's first album with Eduardo Falaschi on vocals who has remained in the band ever since. Angra provides fast numbers with Nova Era and Unholy Wars, slower melodic tracks with the title track and Heroes of Sand and then there's the more epic and complex works including Running Alone and Unholy Wars. These make Rebirth a versatile album and doesn't make themselves repetititve.

The song: Unholy Wars starts off with sounds of a Brazilian dance which is followed by the band themselves and with Edu Falaschi making some chanting voices. The band then picks up the pace with the guitar riffs which is where we learn the young warrior fighting his way through the war. The music takes some progression routes, particular in the centre where you hear a bass lead. The bass makes itself prominent during the break and actually gives the listener time to sink in with this segment. The solo makes its fine way to show itself up but it's not long until we're back to revisiting the horror of the unholy wars one last time. Unholy Wars is a beautifully complex track from Rebirth and offers a lot for the listener. It's a shame they didn't do anything this magnificent on Aqua.

Week 36: Elvenking - Under the Tree of Us'dum

The artist: Elvenking are a folk/power metal band coming from Italy. They released their debut album Heathenreel in 2001 and have made some changes with their sound throughout the decade. Some have been for the better while others didn't go well with the fans. Heathenreel was straight forward folk/power metal which suited the majority but years later they went a completely direction by adding metalcore influences to their music in The Scythe. Elvenking acknowledged the disappointment from the fans after hearing The Scythe and took a safer path with Two Tragedy Poets by giving it an all-acoustic folk sound.

The album: To Oak Woods Bestowed is Elvenking's demo recordings. Before Heathenreel was released, they had five demo tracks they worked on and three of them made the cut for their debut album. That left with Banquet of Bards and Under the Tree of Us'dum in the dark forever. Well, most likely anyway. These two songs are actually very good and it's a shame they were never included in the release of Heathenreel as both songs would have been great additions to the album. White Willow and Oakenshield demo versions feel less polished than the Heathenreel counterparts while the intro track To Oak Woods Bestowed is an extended version.

The song: Under the Tree of Us'dum is the last track in the demo album. This song shows the most complexity out of the five tracks starting with a majestic intro. There are plenty of tempo changes and some surprising turns. Keep in mind that this is a demo track so the performance is not likely to be top notch and will feel rough. Aydan's vocals still needed some work here and the rhythm isn't timed well for the first half of the song. However, it does feel better later on, particularly with the galloping section. Even if the song feels rough, there are still some fantastic solos found here and the whole song still manages to be catchy. With the tale of a warrior travelling around the land to fight the evil wizard (yeah yeah, clichés). The hero is companioned with the magical tree known as Usdu'm that conquers the evil one once and for all. It's a typical medieval story but it's still a fun one with a fun tune. It's just a shame this never made it to Heathenreel which would have had huge improvements from the demo session.

Week 32: Van Canto - Take to the Sky

The artist: Van Canto are no doubt an oddball. Out of all 52 artists featured in Monday Metal Treasures, they are the only one who play heavy metal a cappella. The only instrument they provide are drums but even if you don't consider the drums, the vocals are still sung in a heavy metal style. Van Canto have become notable over the last few years with covering heavy metal classics such as Fear of the Dark, Kings of Metal and Master of Puppets in a cappella. With these covers, you can tell Van Canto are here to do something different in heavy metal as well as enjoying themselves. It may look like a gimmick but why should the fun be taken away by anyone?

The album: Hero is Van Canto's second album where half of the songs are actually covers. Personally it would be better if they had a whole album dedicated to covers but the mixture of both original and covers works pretty well here and make them part of the album. Looking beyond the covers, they have great songs such as Speed of Light, Pathfinder and Take to the Sky. Definitely worth picking up this album for the original songs as well as the covers.

The song: It's funny to even describe the a cappella vocals here but the song starts off with some "dum dum duuum". Not all of Van Canto's songs consist of "rakkarakka" and "riddly diddly" (Ned Flanders, much?) but it's humorous to hear the backing vocals saying "one" constantly as part of the music that would have been instruments for any other band, The best of all about the vocals is Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian as the guest musician. They even have a woman on vocals for one section of the songs so there's a nice variety of singers here. The only thing that really sticks out like a sore thumb is the solos. It's hard to tell whether they're actually guitar solos or the a cappella vocals immitating them. If it's the latter they sound rather fake and this is one thing they should improve on or try to avoid. Still, putting the solos aside, it's still lots of fun to listen to Van Canto, especially a song that features a well praised vocalist such as Hansi Kursch.

Week 21: Symphony X - The Communion and the Oracle

The artist: Symphony X are a key band in progressive metal who also mix power, symphonic and even neoclassical metal elements to their music keeping their versatility. The band is well known for having Michael Romeo and Russell Allen in the band who are the two that define the Symphony X style, despite Allen not being in the band until the second album. With Allen on board, Symphony X have released great albums such as The Divine Wings of Tragedy, V: The New Mythology Suite and The Odyssey. In the recent years the band take more time on the albums with Paradise Lost taking 5 years to come out after The Odyssey and the upcoming album Iconoclast coming out four years after Paradise Lost. It's better to take your time than to rush out a release.

The album: V: The New Mythology Suite is the concept album released in 2000 covering several subjects such as Atlantis, Egyptian mythology and astrology. The album contains many great tracks such as Evolution (The Grand Design) to kick off things right after the prelude, the instrumental On the Breath of Poseidon and the fantastic 12 minute closer Rediscovery (Part II): The New Mythology to make a climatic ending for The New Mythology Suite. There's actually a strange coincidence Symphony X had with Spock Beard who too made their fifth album in 2000 named V. Both bands have stated these events as complete coincidences, even though Spock Beard ended up making an eighth album in 2005 with "oct" in the title just like Dream Theater with Octavarium.

The song: Communion and the Oracle starts off with an acoustic intro which is shortly followed by some excellent keyboard performance which stands as a true highlight throughout the song. Russell Allen on vocals doesn't start until a minute in and this song provides some of the lightest and softest vocal performances from him but for a ballad it works like a charm. Communion and the Oracle fits in the astrology side of the album with the topic of unbalance between day and night. The solo part is only the beginning of the end of the song and the orchestral elements become much stronger together with the last verse that put Allen at the very best for his singing talent. Overall, Communion and the Oracle is a brilliant song in V: The New Mythology Suite that shouldn't be underestimated at all. This is where the band shows some great work with acoustic guitars, keyboards and vocal performance.

Week 19: Falconer - Substitutional World

The artist: Falconer are a power metal band who started in the 00s. They made their step in the metal realm with their self-titled album and show they can make highly melodic music with a great medieval atmosphere. Anyone who's a sucker for fantasy/medieval themes will feel right at home with their music. To make the band even better, the vocalist Mathias Blad offers excellent singing performance. Those who enjoy clean vocals in heavy metal should see something special in Mathias.

The album: Falconer's self-titled is the beginning of the band and offers ten excellent tracks. While you have heavier riffs in the album with Substitutional World and Lord of the Blacksmiths, there are also songs with a strong folk feel to them such as A Quest for the Crown and The Past Still Lives On. The variety Falconer's self-titled album provides should give the listener plenty to hear and keeping them away from boredom.

The song: Substitutional World has a semi-lengthy intro before Mathias Blad get a chance to sing. The song starts with a very melodic riff and solo and is a great example of what the band can do beyond Mathias. When Mathias kicks in, it's a bliss to hear his voice since it really is one of the finest from heavy metal and one of the best debunkers of "metal is just screaming". Substitutional World is about one's dream world and how it differs from the real world.

The lyrics aren't too kind with daydreamers, though as it denies you as a God or even the all-knowing from your dream world. The lyrics section this is in has Mathias in a huge spotlight with his beautiful singing and piano performance. The solos are all around melodic here and don't need to be the most complex or technical to make it good. These are the solos that are required for this particular song. In conclusion, Substitutional World is one of the best songs in Falconer's self-titled album and the fact that there's still nine other great tracks for you to hear only shows how much of a fantastic album it really is.

Week 14: Rhapsody (of Fire) - On the Way to Ainor

The artist: Heavy metal with strong orchestral elements with a multi-album concept using fantasy settings? Oh hell yes! Rhapsody (of Fire) are well recognised for their powerful orchestral elements, Luca Turilli's over the top guitar performance and of course making a strong focus on fantasy tales. If you're a sucker for anything medieval-related like me, you'll feel right at home with Rhapsody. For anyone else, your mileage may vary. Some really love the band for who they are, others hate them for who they are. Rhapsody aren't for everyone but they're awesome for those who can appreciate their music. Even if you're not particular fond of these guys, you have to give them credit for getting Christopher Lee to narrate on the albums in The Dark Saga. You'd think each band member would have had to break an arm and a leg just to get him to contribute to their albums.

The album: The Frozen Tears of Angels is Rhapsody's comeback album after being on suspension due to a dispute with Joey DeMaio of Manowar. Not sure what went wrong with him but we should be glad Rhapsody are no longer with DeMaio's record label Magic Circle Music and are now being catered by Nuclear Blast. With the release of The Frozen Tears of Angels, it was clear Rhapsody were back with a vengeance. This album takes a much heavier approach of the band's music by being faster, heavier and harsher than before. It's like the band took all their aggression out on this album after the fall out with Joey DeMaio. You hear Fabio Lione screaming in Reign of Terror? That's how infuriated they were.

The song: On the Way to Ainor starts off right away with some fast riffage rocking alongside with the keyboards. Half a minute later Turilli calms down to make way for the first passage for the vocals with the flute in the background. Fabio Lione knows how to make these songs emotional and executes it very well before kicking it up a bit ready to rock with the whole band. The chorus easily shows the angrier side of Rhapsody's music (again, must have been because of the band suspension) but not on the same magnitude as Reign of Terror.

After the second chorus ends, the song falls into a solomania for two minutes by Luca Turilli and each of his solos during this section have to be some of the finest he's ever played on his guitar. The Frozen Tears of Angels has a lot of killer solos but there's something about the consecutive solos in this song that make them shine even brighter. The song then revisits the chrous one more time before it ends. For the somewhat different structure of song for Rhapsody, this is easily a highlight for not only the album but also the band's music in general.

Week 13: HammerFall - Secrets

The artist: We are finishing off power metal month with HammerFall. HammerFall haven't been a strong influence in power metal as much as Helloween and Stratovarius have but they're still a big name in the genre nonetheless. The band have stayed strong with Oscar Dronjak on guitars since the beginning and Joacim Cans on vocals. Cans is a highlight in HammerFall's music with his strong voice you won't hear from anyone else. HammerFall recently finished working on their eighth album called Infected but from the sounds of it, it'll be a zombie apocalyptic themed album. Doesn't sound like HammerFall at all but we'll see how the album turns out when it's released.

The album: Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken is a rather silly title but putting that aside, what the album offers the listener is several rocking tunes, an outstanding track opener, the chilling medieval instrumental Imperial and the epic closer Knights of the 21st Century despite the silly voices heard in the track. Many claim Chapter V isn't a great album but I really enjoyed this album. Maybe it's because it was the first HammerFall album I heard but it still deserves more respect than it gets. This isn't Virtual XI or anything on that level of failure.

The song: Secrets starts off with an intro which feels somewhat haunted. Not sure if that was intentional but the choir still provides a nice contribution to the intro either way. The song then suddenly strikes with its main riff which is rather simple but works very well. The direction HammerFall take with this one is rather unusual for them. Halfway through the song they offer a keyboard break before kicking with some excellent solos. Some of the solos even go alongside with the keyboards making it some awesome rocking moments. Keyboards aren't typical for HammerFall but they made the right move with putting them on Secrets.

The lyrics to Secrets easily explain the meaning of secrets we have and how we should keep some secrets until the day we day no matter what. It's a very encouraging song for someone who may feel very down in his/her life and this song should shed a light on their beliefs and their own personal thoughts. Overall, Secrets is one of the finest songs HammerFall have ever wrote and easily stands out from all the other songs they've sung. With memorable riffs, highly melodic solos going alongside with keyboards and a song with a strong meaning, this should be considered a power metal anthem!

Week 12: Stratovarius - Twilight Symphony

The artist: Stratovarius are another key European power metal band. Their style of music has been templated with many power metal bands in the world, even though not too many of them stick out that well. The band's musical characteristics weren't fully established until Fourth Dimension when Timo Kotipelto joined the band after Timo Tolkki stepped down from singing for the band. With Koltipelto on vocals and Tolkki focusing 100% on guitar, the band seemed unstoppable with releases such as Episode, Visions and Destiny.

However, things didn't go well for the band in the 00s when Tolkki had a mental breakdown and almost causing an end to a band. His recovery only resulted in the awful self-titled album and then left a few years later to focus on his then-new band Revolution Renaissance which splitted up two years later for being a commercial failure. When Tolkki was done with Stratovarius, the rest of the band members insisting on continuing even without Tolkki and found Matias Kupiainen to become Stratovarius' new guitarist. He's proven to be a worthy addition to the band as well as a needed replacement for Tolkki. Stratovarius as whole have gotten back on track with their music after the departure of Timo Tolkki.

The album: As stated already Fourth Dimension is the first Stratovarius album with Timo Koltipelto on vocals released in 1995. This album takes a lighter approach after the very dark atmosphere of Dreamspace. Fourth Dimension contains some of Stratovarius' popular live set tracks (i.e. Against the Wind and Distant Skies) but the rest of the album is easily overlooked, even the neoclassical instrumental named, well, Stratovarius. Other great tracks in the album include the epic We Hold the Key and Twilight Symphony and the speed metal number Lord of the Wasteland. The only song that sticks out like a sore thumb is 030366 which is about computers and viruses. It's out of place both lyrically and musically but the rest of the album is still worth checking out.

The song: Twilight Symphony is the last song in Fourth Dimension besides the instrumental closure. This song is introduced with a symphonic metal intro and then kicks in with Koltipelto on vocals. This 7 minute long masterpiece actually has a few different sections and only repeats the chorus just once. The second half suddenly starts with a kickass violin solo that isn't expected during the first listening but shortly makes its way for some solomania and this right here shows Tolkki at his finest with his guitar solos which will make anyone depressed at how someone who could perform amazing solos on his guitar turning into a lunatic almost a decade later.

The song's lyrics are what should be defined as a twilight setting and the last verse gives it a very depressing feeling. It's not on the depression level as Dreamspace but the sadness is easily justified with the beautiful outro provided with a flute and a slow guitar solo. Orchestral elements weren't typical for Stratovarius then but the direction they took with this song was well worth it. Overall, Twilight Symphony is an epic phenomenon that shouldn't be underestimated for its unique structure for Stratovarius.

Week 11: Blind Guardian - Fast to Madness

The artist: Blind Guardian have a well established heavy metal band. They may not be as famous as Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath but their musical quality has certainly been on par with metal's biggest names. Blind Guardian are the most well known band in the power metal scene even going as far as appealing to those who don't really like power metal to begin with and that is a sign of a really good band! There is more to this band than the power metal classics such as Nightfall in Middle-Earth and Imaginations from the Other Side. In the earlier days of Blind Guardian, they were under the name Lucifer's Heritage and had a strong influence of NWOBHM. They later changed their name to Blind Guardian offering a speed metal onslaught with their first two albums.

The album: Follow the Blind continues the speed metal style heavily influenced by Helloween's Walls of Jericho from Battalions of Fear. These guys weren't power metal quite yet here. Infact, this album sounds more thrash than power. Markus Siepen even admitted to the thrashy feel of the album after listening to a lot of thrash metal bands at the time. Even so, there were still some hints of the Blind Guardian style the fans now know and love with Valhalla. It has become a popular song to play theirs shows as a result as well as the extremely catchy chorus that can go on for minutes after the song even ends. Follow the Blind is an excellent album and is highly recommended for all Blind Guardian fans and even thrash metal fanatics.

The song: Fast to Madness is one of many tracks in Follow the Blind that puts the pedal full speed ahead. With a song title like Fast to Madness, you better expect the album to be a speed metal attack but not before the band warms up in the intro. Fast to Madness is based on the Eternal Champion book series which is very unlikely to be familiar to non-readers such as myself. Still, the lyrics have a strong fantasy feel as well as feeling fast to madness. Infact, this should have been the title track and would easily describe the album in general. Overall, this song provides a structure to maintain the listener's attention with the slow intro turning fast to madness as well as a variety of fast riffs, simple yet effective and catchy chorus from Hansi Kursch and colourful solos provided by the Olbrich and Siepen duo.

Week 10: Gamma Ray - Hand of Fate

The artist: Starting off power metal month for March, we have Gamma Ray. They formed in 1988 when Kai Hansen wasn't happy with his time with Helloween. He may have been one of the founding members of Helloween but he struggled to fit in the band after a while and departed right after the tour for Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2. He started the band with Ralf Scheepers who is known for being heavily influenced by Rob Halford for his singing style as well as forming Primal Fear later on after leaving Gamma Ray. When Ralf was gone, Kai Hansen was going to seek for a new vocalist but was advised to take care of singing himself, despite stepping down from vocals in Helloween to make way for Michael Kiske. Ever since it's been Kai Hansen on vocals.

The album: Power Plant is part of the classic trio for Gamma Ray starting with Land of the Free, followed by Somewhere Out in Space and this album. These three albums are fan favourites for the majority. Power Plant is just as good as Land of the Free and would have been a perfect album had it not been for that out of place cover of It's a Sin by Pet Shop Boys. Putting that aside, Power Plant is full of excellent Gamma Ray songs such as Anywhere in the Galaxy, Gardens of the Sinner, Armageddon and Strangers in the Night. It's a highly recommended album for metal fans, unless power metal isn't your cup of coffee.

The song: Hand of Fate starts with a piano intro followed by the band striking at full force after the first lyric section making it a very impressive intro overall for the song. The song is about the dark lord returning from hell to wreck havoc on earth. Many soldiers are fighting this demon and do what they can to send him back to hell. 10,000 men pray for the "hand of fate" to take down the dark lord once and for all. With a song full of great riffs, a marching feel of a chorus and a section launching several solos together, it's easy to call it high class power metal. The only thing that can be brought up for concern is the outro which sounds like we're on another song. Maybe the band originally had it planned to be an interlude track between Hand of Fate and Armageddon but changed it the last minute. Either way, Hand of Fate is still an excellent song provided by Gamma Ray.