4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than average Italian power metal, December 13, 2008
This review is from: Twilight of the Gods (Audio CD)
The repetitiveness of the last few Rhapsody (of Fire) and Skylark albums has pretty well killed my interest in the Italian power metal genre, but after hearing Kaledon I may just have to give the genre another chance. Kaledon's particular brand of symphonic power metal really isn't anything you haven't heard before, but they manage to avoid some of that style's pitfalls (cheesy narration, overly sing-song choruses) that so many of their peers can't seem to get enough of.
The band's 2006 release Twilight of the Gods is the fourth album in the Legend of the Forgotten Reign saga. The subject matter is of course the standard Dungeons & Dragons fare, though with a C.S. Lewis inspired Christian undertone like that of their Swedish counterparts Narnia. It's painfully easy for this type of album to become embarrassingly cheesy, but Kaledon delivers fantasy-based theme that doesn't resort to the clichéd "mighty warrior go grab your mighty sword" lyrical content.
Musically the album sounds more like a German power metal album, firmly rooted in the Helloween/Gamma Ray tradition of galloping leads, machine gun drumming, and powerful melodies. You can definitely tell the band loves the Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. Claudio Conti is a decent enough singer, but he lacks the power of a Fabio Leoni or Roberto Tiranti, so the vocals aren't quite as impressive as the musicianship.
The only real downfall of the album is that the production values aren't as high quality as the band's better known peers. You can't help but wonder just how great this band would sound if they had the same budget for their studio albums as Rhapsody of Fire or Labyrinth.
If you're a fan of power metal, particularly Italian power metal, you'll definitely want to check out Kaledon. If (like me) you've written off that whole scene, Legend of the Forgotten Reign, Part IV - Twilight of the Gods may just be the album to change your mind.
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