Reviewed by Gareth Hills

I reviewed the debut album released by this awesome power metal quartet over two years ago, and the band have since gone from strength to strength with this, an epic and technically impressive project. These guys are really good. Christian Liljegren's voice is absolutely perfect in this setting and harks back to the golden days of power metal. Drummer Alfrid Fridhagen (a mere 19 years old at the time of the album's recording) concocts an absolute frenzy of controlled energy. Finally, lead guitarist Tommy ReinXeed steals the show on many an occasion with some absolutely blistering finger work. The times when he and keyboardist Svenne Jansson trade solos, as on 'Golden Resurrection', put me in mind of Dream Theater. The frenetic instrumental "Heavenly Metal" really showcases the prowess of each band member, while the closing track, "Moore Lord", a bluesy number that seems to drop out of nowhere, shows a different side to the band. Production is excellent throughout, particularly for the drums, which were recorded without any double kick triggers, giving an organic unpolished sound which is refreshing in a genre which can at times sound a little too precise. The album is strong lyrically too. Many of the songs deal with living for God in a fallen world ("Spirit War", "Night Light", "God's Mercy"), while "Can't Slow Down" is a reminder that the Church is running out of time to share the good news.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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