ORION'S REIGN - NUCLEAR WINTER
ICE WARRIOR RECORDS / ROCK IT UP RECORDS
Metal To Infinity
Officially,
the debut album from Greece based Orion’s Reign entitled “Nuclear Winter”
saw daylight back in late November 2008 – fans could order this product only
via band contact because of the fact it was a self financed, so called
independent output. Back then, there were eleven tracks to enjoy – the
re-release of this album has the same songs plus at least 5 bonus works on board
to please you all. Ice Warrior Records brought just released “Nuclear
Winter” as a deluxe edition… all looks very professional, about the band’s
style of music I have to say the following words…
Checking
out the band’s line-up I count six individuals and a bunch of guest musicians,
actually members of bands like Firewind, Fragile Vastness, Burden Of Legacy,
Wastefall among others and guitar wizard in the vein of Yngwie Malmsteen named
Theodore Ziras who’s one of my favourite guitar players for sure. Mainly,
Melodic Power Metal can be mentioned as Orion’s Reign name of the game. Spiced
with ingredients taken from other genres like Neo Classical, Orchestral /
Symphonic, Fold and Epic Metal – “Nuclear Winter” is a good album but
can’t keep up my complete attention up high. I absolutely don’t want to
criticize this band in no ways – therefore they’re too much skilled to the
bone. It’s just the fact my heart doesn’t feel the same about Euro Power
Metal as it did several years ago. Reason why and as I’ve written many times
before… originality is far gone – in other words I got the feeling hearing
it all before.
I’d
like to put Orion’s Reign into a category where other troops like Sonata
Arctica, Yngwie Malmsteen, Labyrinth, Heavenly, Nightwish or Stratovarius
already took place quite a long time ago. Make a blend of all these to
get and idea of what Orion’s Reign has to deliver. Take a good listen to the
instrumental highlight entitled ‘Steel Horizons’… full shred guitar and
quite fast rhythms, one of my favourite songs for sure. Opener ‘Amidst The
Battle’ is a great Power Metal track also with good vocals and flammable,
technical guitar works to the extreme – awesome! The first of the bonus ones
‘Last Stand’ is an Epic Power Metal song with high vocals, attractive speed
velocities and beautiful guitar moves. The orchestral versions of ‘Last
Stand’ and ‘Siege Of Ruad’ seem superfluous to me.
The
production of “Nuclear Winter” is optimal good – a real tight and warm
sound to enjoy. A pleasure to me meeting a band like Orion’s Reign which, a
band I really appreciate for the delivery of outstanding skills – music for
the big crowd, fans of Euro Power Metal will be in seventh heaven with the
release undoubtedly. Speaking for myself, I'm moderately satisfied! http://www.myspace.com/orionsreign
My Points: 80 / 100 (Review by Stefan)