ASTRALION - Astralion
Even though the band name sounds like Australia, melodic power metal band Astralion comes from Finland, which is pretty much on the opposite part of the globe. The band has been founded in 2011 and first self-released a demo. This was soon followed by the single At The Edge Of The World, which caught the attention of Limb Music. Even though Astralion haven’t been around for a long time, some of the band members used to play in bands like Olympos Mons, HumanGod and The Addication.
The self-titled album begins right away with the best track. Mysterious & Victorious offers fast power metal with strong keyboards that remind of bands like Freedom Call and Sonata Arctica. There are a couple of such hymns with epic choruses, which is definitely the band’s major strong point. Despite the speedy performance, the Finns always manage to add a conscious layer of kitsch which is in their case very entertaining. The musicians are playing with incredible precision that hints at years long musical studies. Another highlight is Computerized Love where smart pace changes and an organ part will surprise the listener.
As soon as Astralion cut the tempo, I have a harder time getting into their music. The Oracle is a classic mid-tempo track and sounds less spectacular than the more upbeat songs. The medium paced We All Made Metal has a strong pop flair with lots of keyboards and could as well have come from Europe. The ballad To Isolde also fails to move me.
Astralion definitely know how symphonic metal has to sound. Their fast material takes all its energy from sparkling ideas and the band’s enormous joy of playing. Even the thirteen minute long Last Man On Deck makes it over the rounds with a second of boredom. It is just a shame that the slower paced tracks can’t fulfill the same expectations. These moments are a little too tame, which shouldn’t be an attribute of metal.