The Storyteller - Tales of a Holy Quest
Black Lodge
Power Metal
11 songs (44:57)
Release year: 2003
The Storyteller, Black Lodge
Reviewed by Jay

Having never heard Sweden’s The Storyteller before this album, I have to say that the album is good but falls short of true greatness. This album is their third since 1995. It can safely be said that their combination of high vocals, fast guitars and bombastic double bass drumming successfully combine to create the pure essence of power metal. The application of these elements is still a little rough around the edges though.

The Storyteller clearly draw influence from Helloween, Manowar and Blind Guardian in particular. The Guardian influence is seen in the drumming which is eerily reminiscent of Thomen’s work on the earlier albums. Vocal delivery seems to be similar as well. Hansi has a much better voice than L.G. Persson does. Persson has a strange quality to his voice and it sounds very throaty. He can reach the high notes but his voice really is not suited to the power metal he sings. Often times the music focuses on him since nothing is really happening in the background. “A Holy Quest” is a prime example. Almost textbook Manowar, Persson seems to be emulating Eric Adams rather than finding his own voice. His flourishes of emphasis are very similar to Adams’ delivery style. The song has similar music and instrumentation to many of Manowar’s slower non-ballad songs. The real difference comes in when it is time for a solo. There is no way that the cheesy solo this song has could match anything played by Karl Logan. Persson tries to hit some very high notes and screams at the end with mixed results. This song needs a lot of help in the vocals and music department.

The Mass” tries to be Manowar’s “Carry On” but lacks the catchy vocals. This track further demonstrates Persson’s talents as a singer. He is an excellent singer, but he’s just not suited to this style of metal in my opinion. Easily, very easily could he sing for a true or doom band but his voice is too low to successfully hit the highs that power metal requires. “When All Hope Has Faded” is an acoustic ballad and the one song in which the music matches the vocals. Persson is powerful and it shows. The music is derivative, circular and boring. It’s not a total skipper since the vocals are so good but there are much better ballads out there. “Trails of Blood” is the eight-minute song that closes the album. This is The Storyteller’s attempt at being Rhapsody. From the few orchestral parts thrown in for looks, to the Elf Metal 101 riff, it is kind of boring. Guitarist Fredrik Groth is clearly not on par talent wise with Luca Turilli and this seems like a fake plastic version of the real thing.

The production is very good; the content is what is lacking. This band could be great but they need to take their songwriting in a new direction. They would probably also benefit from a stable lineup (they’ve gone through 10 members in under ten years). This one has a few moments but this album is not going to break this band.

Killing Songs :
Seed of Lies, Conviction
Jay quoted 67 / 100
Other albums by The Storyteller that we have reviewed:
The Storyteller - Underworld reviewed by Ian and quoted 80 / 100
The Storyteller - Crossroad reviewed by Chris and quoted 74 / 100
The Storyteller - The Storyteller reviewed by Chris and quoted 80 / 100
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