Well these guys play power metal to the progressive degree, strong, but yet typical. Among the pounding double bass, synth pads, falsettos, and swift power chords,
Power Quest offers yet another melody laden release aligning itself with the balancing act of "guitar verses keyboards" for aficionados of both the strings and ivories.
25% late period Helloween, 25% Stratovarus, 25%
Asia (yes, the 80's arena rock heroes), and 25% ...(Enter power metal band of your choice here),
Power Quest, on their second release, brings forth strong musicianship and melodies, to enhance the songwriting skills of keyboardist Steve Williams. Although
Neverworld is somewhat of the run of the mill power metal vein, the strong points outweigh the degrees to which your average band plays, offering an above par release.
The cuts that stand out are the anthem-ish
"Never World," the sub-progressive cuts like
"For Evermore" and
"Into the Light," not to mention
"Sacred Land" sounds like an homage to 80's arena metal with it's
Van Halen "Jump" style keyboard riffs; and oh yes, a ballad is present, the pop oriented
"When I'm Gone" complete with piano interlude and a flute solo, along with power ballad stature.
The songs are good, a few are great, saving
Neverworld from becoming redundant, making for something worth checking out, especially if you are looking to find (or should I say on a "Quest" for) a power metal record with more of a pop edge to it (lacking the cheese factor of course), which is present within the songwriting rather than going all out symphonic, where the musicianship's neo-classical backdrop puts the occasional progressive factor in place. When listening to this, you might imagine yourself entering an arena of some sorts (probably due to the analog synths used), rather than finding yourself in outer space or some medieval landscape.
Written by
Hashman Friday, March 26, 2004
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