Second album for those Italian power metallers. While I was quite enthusiastic about their debut "Mistress Of The Shadowlight" last year, except for a couple of songs the new album leaves me a little bit unsatisfied (and yeah, I've grown a bit more critical as well ;)). It is more melodic and to some extent a bit symphonic as well and not as guitar-driven as was the first album. There are some catchy melodies in here but I wish there would be more guitars (which I consider a requirement in metal) and a bit less keyboards.
One thing Secret Sphere have other many other power metal bands is that they don't sound like every other one - they have their own sound and it's quite enjoyable. The singer's accent is not as strong here than on their debut, which is a plus. The vocals are very melodic and do not really go into an aggressive edge. There's a limited use of choirs, just enough where needed, a good change from some bands who really abuse that "feature". The songs are mostly quite long - most exceeding 6-7 minutes, with a few "interludes" clocking around one minute. They also don't keep the same beat, alternating slow and fast playing, especially on the longer tracks.
Overall a very good album, albeit a little too melodic for my taste. Power metal fans should check this out if only to get away from all the same-sounding power metal acts out there. Bands that don't just follow the crowd should be supported. This is one.
