Review Summary: Simple and solid but not something special
This third album of the Finnish band came to follow the path of Invitation (2003) and Divinity (2004). It's an album that shows the band's maturity from those two previous pieces, since it includes their best elements. I believe the simplicity behind each track is the thing that makes them differentiate from other look-alike bands like Sonata Arctica and Rhapsody, mainly because of the absence of fast-paced drumming. Another characteristic is the mixture of melody and lyricism which the band managed to achieve, a combination which was a bit absent from the previous albums.
The album starts with the best of omens since the first four tracks distinguish themselves from the rest. The simplistic and (at the same time) powerful head-banging ''Disciples'' I believe is one of the best moments of the album. This riff-driven epic is succeeded by ''Valley of Rainbows'' a song which starts with a catchy refrain and includes an elegant guitar solo. The ''Abyss of Twilight'' is a mid-to-fast tempo rock song and shows that double-bass kicking is not always needed for a powerful song to be nice, while ''Frozen Hearts'' is even more simple having quarter note drum beats and some well-written lyrics. From the rest of the album I would point out ''The Lion'' and ''Outlaw Blood'' and to a lesser degree ''Access Denied''.
In respect of technique the album does not say much, however its quite balanced. An enjoyable album from an average-to-good band that I doubt it will enthuse many.
