2004-06-08
Karelia can easily be credited for inventing a new metal genre, Tragic Power Metal, since their debut album incorporates some real tragic sounding melody lines and lyrics, which make this album into an emotional experience.
Musically speaking, the band creates a hybrid of power metal with progressive and symphonic elements, at times reminiscent of Sonata Arctica and Rhapsody, but they manage to maintain a solid identity of their own, mainly due the huge amount of talent they posses.
At first, the album didn’t strike me as any different then many other power metal bands, it was after really sitting and absorbing the sad story line and heart felt melodies that I begun to hear the greatness inherited in the album.
Following the Intro, the opening track, Letter For An Angel is a fast power metal track, the vocals shift from a deep, almost Goth-like beginning, to a higher pitched one during the verses, somewhat reminiscent of Edguy’s Tobias Sammet, the symphonic elements are not highlighted as much as they are in the following track, Torn Dress, a fantastic number, with a beautiful chorus melody, But it’s the title track which sets the band apart, in my book, the symphonic elements reach a crescendo, and the sheer brilliance of the vocals is apparent, Mattheu has one of the most passionate, heart felt voices in metal today, and he shines throughout.
Ad tempted as you’ll be to label the band, take the time and check them out, this is a true gem, and it’s certainly going to spend some time in my stereo.
Alon Miasnikov
