Battlelore: Evernight

If there was ever Metal that was indeed a true battle cry then it is the band Battlelore and their new CD Evernight shall call across the lands of myth and bring Orks and Hobbits into conflict once again. Choose your desired side and raise your sword and shield high once more and prepare for epic adventures deep inside the mystical worlds of Middle Earth. Battlelore is a band that effectively uses authentic costumes and imagery that are both in style and under the permission of the people handling the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. The combination of the two along with the resounding musical power they deliver allows this Finnish group to take you away from the trappings of the daily routine and instill your spirit with heroic tales of good versus evil. Based on videos and photos, they do this very well and sport very detailed costumes along with period weaponry. With Battlelore you get entertained in both the auditory and visual sense and I imagine left with satisfaction that most other bands only hope their shows could bring. Evernight struck me as a lot different from the previous album Third Age From The Sun, as with this one the songs seem to flow seamlessly into each other more than I found on the last effort. There is a fullness to the overall performance and this could be the result of the massive seven person lineup that they have. The group is comprised of Kaisa Jouhki (vocals), Tomi Mykkanen (vocals), Jussi Rautio (guitars), Jyri Vahvanen (guitars), Timo Honkanen (bass), Henri Vahvanen (drums), and Maria (keyboards). There is a lot of great stuff on this release and I am hard-pressed to find exact favorites but I did lean to "Ocean's Elysium" and "Summon The Wolves" very much. The first had the whole Beauty and the Beast thing going and while this is a familiar theme in this band, it reminded me a little bit of Leaves Eyes (another one of this labels most standout groups).

I felt there were a number of heavier moments on this one and while the male vocals are often dark and growling you were able to follow the lyrical content with little difficulty. Given the mythical nature of their subject matter, I enjoyed this very much and wished that I had a lyric sheet to follow along as there are some numbers that you can envision them bearing the armaments as they performed. The lovely Kaisa gets a solo number with "Longing Horizon" and shows that she can stand alone and not lose any of the bands power. This satisfying listen is dramatic and powerful from start to finish and is Metal that will help you go there and back again.

Track Listing

1. House Of Heroes
2. Ocean's Elysium
3. Summon The Wolves
4. We Are The Legions
5. Into The New World
6. Longing Horizon
7. Mask Of Flies
8. The Cloak And The Dagger
9. Beneath The Waves

Added: February 28th 2007
Reviewer: Ken Pierce
Score:
Related Link: Battlelore Website
Hits: 3165
Language: english

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