Black Majesty - Tomorrowland
Limb Music Products
True / Power Metal
10 songs (49'45)
Release year: 2007
Black Majesty, Limb Music Products
Reviewed by Marty
The pride of Aussie power metal has returned with their third full-length album. Black Majesty's first two albums, Sands Of Time and Silent Company established the band as a potential contender in the power metal genre and resulted in several key opening slots for bands like Edguy, Hammerfall and more recently as the guests of Dragonforce during their recent Australian tour. A very successful appearance at this summer's Wacken Open Air Festival got them out of Australia and the much-needed exposure to the European audience. In light of the fact that the Black Majesty sound is firmly rooted in European power metal, this was a very important showcase for the band. Up next will be an opening slot on the upcoming Saxon tour of Australian this coming April. This new album Tomorrowland was produced by Endel Rivers (Vanishing Point) who also provides some keyboards for several tracks.

Black Majesty's first two albums saw the band trying to find their sound and earn their stripes so to speak. Both albums showed a very strong grasp on the Hammerfall/Helloween style of melodic power metal but influences from bands like Iron Maiden also creep into the band's sound once in a while. With Tomorrowland, we see stronger song writing and a more dynamic approach with the arrangements of their songs. Originality is one aspect that doesn't apply to this band. Every note, chord progression, melody line, guitar solo etc. has that all too familiar European true metal/power metal ring to it. Their overall sound is full of all the power metal clichés yet they are very good at what they do. Although not offering anything really new, there's everything here that true metal and power metal fans could ever want in an album.

Tempos range from speedy Helloween-like to more galloping Iron Maiden styled metal. Lead vocalist John Cavaliere comes from the Michael Kiske/Joacim Cans power metal vocal college with his higher pitched yet very melodic vocal style. Unlike the first two albums, I hear him straining a bit on a few tracks with some off-key moments on more than one occasion. Tempos vary within many tracks, strengthening the quality of the material immensely. More prevalent dual lead guitar harmonies add melodic colour and effect to many tracks with a great use of lead harmonies over solid, meaty riffs. Highlights include the very catchy Evil In Your Eyes, which captures the true essence of early Hammerfall in combining not only dynamics, but also a very catchy melodic sense. In fact, this one comes off sounding better than most recent Hammerfall material as of late. The David Coverdale penned Deep Purple track Soldier Of Fortune from their Stormbringer album gets reworked here and comes off sounding great. John Cavaliere does a fine job doing his best David Coverdale impersonation and the songs gets beefed up a bit in adding a heavier edge for the chorus sections. Bleeding World uses more Iron Maiden styled thematic heavy metal and once again is a fine example of how the band has used mixed tempo changes, lots of guitar harmonies and more dynamic range in their sound this time around. The lead guitar work by guitarists Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohamed is very energetic and like any really great power metal album, there's lots of it!! Neo-classical lead guitar styles are mixed with some good old-fashioned shredding with every trill, pull-off, tapping and pinch harmonic style that's ever been done before...it's all here!!

There are no real filler tracks with this album and although it's an improvement over previous albums as far as stronger song writing and a more energetic and powerful sound, there's still that all too familiar ring to this entire album. A couple of tracks bear some unique and notable melodies/choruses/riffs etc. but the rest is just good old solid power metal. If you're a power metal/true metal fan and like to "play it safe" so to speak with your CD purchases, this album is a great listen but if you're looking for something new and innovative, these guys are about 8-10 years too late.

Killing Songs :
Evil In Your Eyes, Soldier Of Fortune and Bleeding World
Marty quoted 79 / 100
Other albums by Black Majesty that we have reviewed:
Black Majesty - Stargazer reviewed by Chris and quoted 80 / 100
Black Majesty - In Your Honour reviewed by Erik and quoted 74 / 100
Black Majesty - Silent Company reviewed by Marty and quoted 79 / 100
Black Majesty - Sands Of Time reviewed by Marty and quoted 80 / 100
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