What is sci-fi power metal exactly? Well if the album cover says anything about what it is, I love it already! We check out the California power metallers self-titled debut.
[tracklist]
01. Into the Alien Terrain
02. The Drake Equation
03. Life Finds a Way
04. Into the Black Hole
05. A Place I Thought I Knew
06. Keep What You Kill
07. Ocean of Time
08. Moon-Watcher
09. Apollo (The Eagle Has Landed)
10. Live and Die On This Day
[/tracklist]
[details]
[record_label]Independent[/record_label]
[release_date]February 15th 2016[/release_date]
[/details]
I mean what’s not to love about a heavily armed Tyrannosaurus Rex marching around satellite planets dodging laser beams? There is only one genre of music to perfectly encapsulate that vivid vision friends, and that is power metal.
Helion Prime have offered this to us in their self-titled debut through the channels of a standard European power effort, but not before setting the sci-fi intro tones of ‘Into The Alien Terrain‘. It’s an otherworldy, cold opening before turning on the heat with the fist pumper that is ‘The Drake Equation‘.
While the album never really strays from the standard and traditional European power metal formula, the sound is given its California flavour by adding some tongue-in-cheek humour along with some heavy memorable choruses. Tracks such as ‘You Keep What You Kill’ perfectly embody that idea, before launching you into the atmosphere of the themes with the glorious ‘Moon Watcher‘.
Helion Prime have made an excellent debut here, and done something that is relatively traditional in the genre very well, albeit a few mixing anomalies with the vocals. It’s clear they have a passion for what the are doing, both lyrically and musically, and it really resonates onto the record to ensure the listener has a fun time when giving it a spin.
Yes it’s standard power metal, but there’s more than enough here to leave you wondering what’s going to happen on the next one. Giant space worms doing battle with interplanetary mutant Vikings? Only time will tell.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]If the cover alone doesn’t convince you to buy it, the music will! It’s some well crafted energetic power metal that never let’s down it’s cause, and the gimmicky sci-fi aspect of it makes it all the better.[/why]
