It's been a very good year so far for power metal. We've seen excellent new releases by heavy weights like Helloween, Gamma Ray and Masterplan and with others like Primal Fear finally finding their niche, there's newfound enthusiasm for the genre. In addition to that, several new bands have literally appeared out of the blue to show us that there's also a group of very young musicians who are both very eager and very capable of keeping the flame burning. Unicorn's 13th Sign was a fine effort from a new band and Timeless Miracle's Into The Enchanted Chamber still makes it into my CD player quite often and is likely to make my best of the year list. Along with great technical ability, these bands have shown a firm grasp on what it takes to be a power metal band; striking the right balance between heaviness and melody and most importantly, showing great strength in their vocal abilities. After listening to the debut album by Sweden's Nightscape entitled Symphony Of The Night, I can confidently add them to my list of pleasant surprises so far this year. This six-piece band started in 2001 when high school friends Simon Akesson (vocals) and Joakim Wiklund (guitars) got together and began writing songs using a personal computer. When things began to take shape, other members were brought onboard and Nightscape was born. With the ages of the band members ranging from 18 - 20 years old, it's astonishing (yet very comforting) that such well-played and mature sounding power metal could come from these very young musicians. With a style that shows influences from such bands as Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica as well as Helloween and Freedom Call, Nightscape also infuses lots of neo-classical elements into their power metal and the heavier use of keyboards brings England's Power Quest to mind.

Things get underway with one of the album highlights, Haunted Hill. With a neo-classical edge, this track uses a very thematic power metal style with Simon Akesson's voice having more than a passing resemblance to Michael Kiske. His multi-layering effects on his voice for the chorus sections brings the 90125 era of Yes to mind. This effect is used quite a lot throughout the album and really colours the sound by adding a great soaring quality to the vocals. Higher Than Life mixes speedy power metal with amazing melodic vocal accents and a great powerful chorus. The lead guitar breaks really bring to light the talents of guitarists Joakim Wiklund and Pontus Akesson. Merlin continues with a solid up-tempo power metal style and again we are treated to another amazing chorus. The extended instrumental bridge sections range from huge Yngwie Malmsteen inspired ascending scale runs to more progressive flavored lead synthesizer and guitar solos. These segments really put the song over the top. Other tracks worth mentioning are Home, The Serpent King and the title track Symphony Of The Night. Home really stands out as a nice change of pace with it's traditional feel, excellent soaring vocals and killer guitar melodies over a fairly simple drone in the key of "D". The Serpent King uses a mix of atmospheric and speedy power metal, emphasizing the speediness for the verse sections and brings older Stratovarius to mind. Symphony Of The Night again mixes mid-tempo and speedy power metal with huge choruses to finish the album on a high note. Other tracks pretty much follow the same sort of arrangements but they take a decidedly heavier edge with Curse Of Damnation.

Overall, I'm very, very impressed with what I hear from Nightscape. They demonstrate solid technical playing ability and great diversity in song arrangements. The keyboards add a nice orchestral effect but there's also some great, speedy lead synthesizer work as well. For a debut album, the production is good but could use a little more power in the drums and bass mix and overall the band could be a little tighter. I suspect that both of those elements will no doubt not be an issue with the band's subsequent releases. This is a band ready to strike and strike hard. They have the kind of vocal ability that most bands would kill for and this is just their debut album. Watch out for these guys and if you're a fan of Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica and especially Power Quest, Nightscape is pretty much a sure bet. Mp3 samples are available on the band's website. Click here