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8.0
- Bands:
FREEDOM CALL - Duration: 00:53:01
- Available from: 10/05/2024
- Label:
-
Steamhammer Records
Streaming not yet available
The free and candid soul of Freedom Call has always attracted, with its bright colors, the European power metal scene since 1999, thanks to a stratospheric debut like “Stairway To Fairyland”. Over the years, leader and singer Chris Bay has tried to modify the sound of his band by veering towards even more carefree and joyful sounds, moving away from the symphonic power metal of the beginning and recording some ups and downs.
Having probably reached a point of saturation between a continuous production of records and long tours, following the discreet “METAL” of 2019, our band decided to take a break, which finally ends with the publication of this new “Silver Romance” – name also chosen to pay homage to their twenty-five year career and the fact that silver also represents purity and freedom, two aspects that have always characterized the band’s music.
In fact, five years separate this album from the previous one; a stop which, as often happens, works great to reorganize ideas, recharge and work with patience and accuracy on new compositions. The feeling is that the Germans have managed to rekindle the spirit that we have always expected from Freedom Call: it would be enough to observe the lively fantasy cover or listen to the first tracks of the tracklist – or the singles released in the promotional phase – to understand the direction that the album wants take; the carefree and joyful power metal that has always accompanied them, in fact, returns to exalt itself here!
Orchestrations, choirs, well-crafted vocal melodies shine on the clean and sweet voice of Chris Bay, this time well assisted by the now ultra-reliable guitarist Lars Rettkowitz, here author of five pieces.
A work that is tinged with power metal in its most classic definition with irresistible rides, such as the electrifying title track, which opens the listening experience by exploding on inebriating melodies and pompous orchestrations, “Symphony Of Avalon” which quickly flows between carefree choruses and double bass drum and the very lively “Distant Horizon”.
But there is no shortage of classic, more cheerful and hummable passages such as “Out Of Space”, with keyboard riffs that take us back to the times of the always appreciated “Eternity” (the year was 2002), the airy pace of “In Quest Of Love ” and the joyful and radiant “High Above”. It’s difficult to resist the highly enjoyable chorus that accompanies “Supernova”, while the dark midtempo “Big Bang Universe” thrills with a perfect balance between blocked riffs and melancholy melodies, before exploding on a tight and angelic refrain.
Of course, some self-citations are present, but the Freedom Call trademark is unique and always recognisable, and the only flaw in this work lies in the fact that we would have gladly given up a couple of pieces that slightly reduce the listening quality, such as example “Meteorite”, a somewhat obvious power song that could easily have been excluded.
Fun is guaranteed with “Silver Romance”, a decidedly more varied and complete album than the latest releases signed by Chris Bay and his associates, capable of enclosing and retracing within its fifty minutes of duration an inspired summary of the band’s entire career . You may like it or not, but Freedom Call’s happy power metal is back to triumph!
