A relative early bird in the modern Power Metal scene, Sweden's Freternia were a young group of hopefuls pouring their heart and soul into the genre, throwing all the clichés at their music and hoping for something to stick. Like Holy Knights, Axenstar, Pandaemonium and countless others, Freternia had the chops to play but there just wasn't enough backing to push them into the high echelons. Now hard to find, their 2000 debut Warchants & Fairytales is a good example of why they didn't rise above the masses, though it is a release that is enjoyable whenever spun.
If you know your Power Metal from this period, you know exactly what you're in for here, as all the hallmarks make an appearance. Fantasy-themed lyrics, shameless double kick drumming, high-pitched vocal-chord straining, palm-muted guitar work; in other words, no surprises. Under a boxy production, Warchants & Fairytales sounds like a debut (but a good one at that), though they would iron this out for their follow up A Nightmare Story, which hints at the greatness Freternia could have attained. Still, there are some good songs here, and Power Metal fanboys will lap them up. The fiery "War Of The Crown" kicks the shit out the stereo with an early Blind Guardian vibe, and the keyboard-drenched intro of "Guardians Of The Night" leads into a catchy Helloween-esque romp complete with an awesome guitar break. Problems lie with vocalist Pasi Humppi, who gained a little notoriety after this, despite a pretty lackluster performance. His voice is very strained here, on the high notes especially. When the band hit the right spot, as on the grand "Woods Of The Elvenking", Freternia really turn up the heat, and that's what makes the album worth getting a hold of.
So, a rare underground treat if you can snatch up a copy, otherwise just one for the Power Metal horde.
