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April 2024

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[ More Music Reviews ]

Excalion: Emotions

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

4.0/5.0

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Scarlet Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.09.2019 | Released: 27.09.2019

Last we heard from Finland's Excalion it was been after a seven year absence from the studio. 2017's Dream Alive was a fine return to the band's melodic, sometimes progressive, power metal. Now returning with a stable lineup, the band returns for their fifth album, Emotions. According to press material, the album has a thematic thread: taking the listener "on a journey through hate and trust, sorrow and joy" where each song explores a singular emotion.

Excalion

Otherwise, musically speaking, Emotions picks up where the last album left off. Excalion once more offers some traditional European melodic metal blending heavy, power, progressive, and symphonic metal in their musical mixer. With founding member and keyboard player Jarmo Myllyvirta the main songwriter, you can expect his synths to have a strong presence. His input ranges from orchestral embellishment, giving any song a dense and bombastic feeling, to bright synth solos which give guitarist Aleksi Hirvonen a run for his money. But like the last album, songs like Trust or Lost Control finds Myllyvirta and Hirvoven joined at hip when they offer tandem solos. Alternatively, with a song such as The Mercy Racers, I'm not sure if I heard a solo from either one. Vocalist Marcus Lang also remains in fine form. On the rising metal anthem his voice is both melodic and soulful. Conversely, within the roaring power metal of Nightmariner he can sound more assertive, even raging and rough. Basically, with Emotions, Excalion is on winning path, offering another engaging and entertaining album of their melodic and symphonic power metal. Recommended.

Sinner: Santa Muerte

Melodic Heavy Metal Rock

4.5/5.0

Take a close look at the album art for Sinner's new and latest album, Santa Muerte. Obviously created by the same artist, the artwork is quite similar to the previous album ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Emotions, Excalion is winning path, offering another engaging and entertaining album of their melodic and symphonic power metal. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]