Germany's Arven join the ranks of female-fronted Symphonic Power Metal with their debut album Music of Light. Arven seeks to set themselves apart from their peers with the use of violins and flutes that add a bit of a medieval flare to their traditional keyboard-driven Metal. Think of a Heavy Metal version of Blackmore's Night with the added benefit of singer Carina Hanselmann, who is a more talented singer than Candice Night.
Music of Light doesn't stretch the boundaries of Symphonic Power Metal and isn't overly catchy, but is played extremely well and has an excellent, lush sound. Up-tempo rockers like "World of Hatred" show guitarists Anastasia Schmidt and Ines Thomé flexing their chops with crunchy riffs while the ballad "My Dear Friend" allows keyboardist Lena Yatsula to stand in the spotlight alongside singer Hanselmann.
Music of Light should be right up the alley for fans of Nightwish, Edenbridge and the like. It won't unseat any of the current genre royalty, but should have a prominent place at court.
