Every now that then an album is released that not only makes people sit up and take notice, but it reinvigorates an entire genre of music. For the sub-genre of power metal, that time has come, as Eternity’s End release their stunning debut album The Fire Within on March 25th through Power Prog Records.
Eternity’s End is the creation of guitarist Christian Muenzner, best known as guitarist of bands like Alkaloid, Necrophagist, Obscura and Paradox. When Christian decided to form his own band, he went back to his roots and love of neo-classical melodic, aggressive power metal music. With bass player Linus Klausenitzer (Obscura, Alkaloid) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (Alkaloid, Blotted
Science, solo, ex Necrophagist, ex Obscura), virtuoso keyboardist Jimmy Pitts (The Fractured Dimension, Spastic Ink), and the final piece of the puzzle and crowning jewel, Ian Parry on lead vocals, who is best known for his incredible resume and body of work with Elegy, Ayeron, Consortium Project and his own solo albums, a power metal super group of sorts came to realization.
The Fire Within was recorded between January and April 2015, co-produced, mixed and mastered by award
winning producer Per Nilsson (known best as guitar player and producer of Swedish melodic death metal masters Scar Symmetry.)
The album kicks off with the fury and majesty of the speedy title track, a song filled with arpeggios, frenetic keys, and heavy riffs, as Ian Parry proves that he belongs in the upper echelon of power metal vocalists, combining melody, power, and aggression to stoke the flames.
Demonblade is a crushing heavy power metal anthem that will make you bang your head in enthusiastic celebration. The choir vocals, Ian Parry’s high pitched screams, and the machine gun double bass drums are a highlight as well as the virtuoso guitar solos and harmonies to give the most jaded fan of power metal what they crave.
The fusion of power and prog permeate The Hourglass, a heavy yet intricate song with keyboard flourishes, guitar wizardry and soaring vocal melodies with a huge chorus.
Listening to Eagle Divine I am reminded of classic 80’s era Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force during their prime, a song that is an ode to songs like I’ll See The Light Tonite without ever plagiarizing their inspiration, a song with passion, neo-classical riffs and soloing, pounding double bass drums, and majestic vocals that take flight and carry the song into the stratosphere. Without a doubt, my favorite track on the album.
White Lies is a mid-tempo metal track with crunchy guitar rhythms, powerful vocal melodies, harmonized guitar/keyboard riffs and another fantastic chorus.
The speed returns once again on Twilight Warrior, the fastest song on the album, where the virtuoso guitarist Muenzner, and keyboardist Pitts let loose with a barrage of frenzied soloing and incredible harmonies in perfect sync. This song embodies what European power metal was built on.
The neo-classical guitar shredding and technical keyboard prowess continues on Chains of The Earth, loaded with heavy riffs and Parry’s unparalleled vocal ability, creating melodic vocal melodies that will be stuck in your head for days.
The somber and moody The Dark Tower slows things down in the best way, bringing to mind the best parts of the Yngwie classic I Am A Viking, without ever sounding like a ripoff, this is just another example of paying tribute to a major influence with style, grace and adding a stamp of new school attitude to the heroes of the past.
Moonstruck is another speedy power metal anthem that has influeces from Thundersteel era Riot combined with neo-classical shred metal.
The albums final song and one of its longest, The Fall of The House of Usher, is an epic prog meets power track filled with thrashing drums bordering on tech death, galloping guitar rhythms, shredding riffs, and aggressive vocals combined with melody and a huge anthemic chorus.
In the final analysis, The Fire Within is that it is a majestic and heavy power metal album, loaded with heavy riffs, neo-classical Yngwie Malmsteen inspired chord progressions, incredible soaring vocals, grandiose choirs and orchestrations and quite possibly the power metal album of 2016. This is an album that is highly recommended for fans of all forms of power metal as well as old school Yngwie fans who miss the Rising Force’s glory days. A new Force has been awakened and is ready to take the world by storm.
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