Excalion's Waterlines (2007) is probably one of the best power metal albums of the 2000s. The band has always had a knack for crunchy, catchy and interesting songwriting and fun, prolific melodies. The Finnish's fifth album brings back Force Majeure's own Marcus Lång, who is an awesome singer, as well as continues on the same path that Dream Alive (2017), albeit with less punch and memorability.
As I mentioned, Lång's vocals are killer and he displays a different take on the "melodic power vocalist" cliché, and the guitar lines continue to be the best thing Excalion has to offer. The keyboard lines are prominent (because come on, it's power metal from Finland), but the sugary instrumental may at times hurt the experience, as well as the often immature lyrics — not to mention the horrible, horrible album name and band photo. At the end of the day, though, this is still a nice power metal album and it's recommended for fans of the genre.
