Despite an album cover and band name that sets my "run-of-the-mill Power Metal band" alarm clocks ringing out loud, Norway's
Highland Glory have crafted a rock-solid, energy-packed album. This is really good stuff!
The music here is melodic in the same way as bands like
Gamma Ray or
Stratovarius, by which I mean harmonic in structure, happy sounding guitar riffs and very memorable choruses. Still, the band manages to maintain a much-needed rough edge. That their sound is deeply rooted in the 80's scene is obvious in tracks like
Surreality or the excellent
Real Life, providing that raw profile, with simple but tasteful riffing. The art of masterful twin guitar harmonies is exemplified several times as well, to my delight.
One of the greatest strengths of
Highland Glory is singer
Jan Thore Grefstad, who is a great Heavy Metal shouter. He doesn't just sing - he screams! Loud, proud, passionately and convincing. He sings as if his life depended on it, and that's exactly the spirit that's been missing in far too many prefabricated newer bands. Crank up the volume to ten if you need proof!
Blending the rougher appeal with a more direct approach of cheerful melody lines and unforgettable refrains, all crowned by powerful vocals, the band ends up with a winning formula.
My favorites on the album include
Spirit Of Salvation, with its perfect melody and progressive overtones; this is one of those songs that grow with each listen.
Mindgame Masquerade has a typical Euro Power Metal appeal, but still small details like the powerful bass work and a blazing guitar solo make the song special.
On
Real Life Jan Thore Grefstad once again shine, with his glass-shattering abilities! A groovy mid-tempo hymn, this killer cut embraces all the genre has to offer!
The title track is a clear highlight of the album. The band really have a talent for combining that raw appeal of old school 80's riffs and ultra melodic hooks. Top this off with extremely powerful vocals and you will have a spectacular tune. The band is skilled at incorporating minor unexpected elements into an otherwise "safe" structure, like the more symphonic parts in this track, adding depth, but never sounding overdone.
Unfortunately, some lowlights are to be found at the album as well. At some points the otherwise solid creations are being spoiled by chorus-overkill, a phenomenon too common in today's Power Metal, like the otherwise well-written
Edge Of Time, which ends up sounding boring and repetitive.
Break The Silence contains some highly enjoyable twin-guitar licks and a shining vocal performance, but ends up a sad, cheesy
Stratovarius copy, sounding much too similar to
Eagleheart.
Another drawback is including not one but two ballads, of which none really does anything for me, except bore me and take up space, where other killer tracks could have been. So less weeping and more screaming next time, please!
Except for that, there's not much to criticize, the performances are generally high quality and when the band stays clear of the most obvious clichés, they really shine!
I can only recommend the album to fans of ballsy, yet melodic and catchy Metal!
Written by
Nina Saturday, January 21, 2006
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