Powerworld is a new German based band that features former members of Freedom Call and At Vance among the ranks. It should come as no surprise then that their music has similarities to both bands and when you factor in the strong and powerfully melodic voice of Steffen Brunner, you have a recipe for a very solid sounding melodic power metal band.

The speediness of the album opener Creatures is really misleading as the fast and melodic German style of power metal a la Edguy and Freedom Call makes very few appearances throughout this album. Similarities to bands like Power Quest and Stratovarius can be found with the 'epic" qualities and vocal melodies yet Powerworld prefers to bring the guitar out into the forefront with very strong and prominent riffs; not just the muted rhythmic patterns that most bands in the genre use. Lake Of Eternity takes the listener back to the big huge chorus laden "epic" material of the first two Freedom Call albums with Fight Fire With Fire having more of a classic Stratovarius Visions feel. Tracks like I Reach The Light, Your World Is Not Mine and Our Melody all feature big soaring Edguy/Avantasia style choruses and really highlight the strength and power in Steffen Brunner's voice. Our Melody even displays classic Scorpions/Dokken like qualities with the melodies and guitar riffs. Many tracks feature more mid tempo styles with a few opting for a plodding and heavy epic style with songs like Signs In The Sand and Breaking The Silence. Dancing With Angels once again revisits the big, cheerful, happy power metal style of Freedom Call with another big huge "gang chorus" and a real surprise is the inclusion of a cover of I Died In Your Arms Tonight, the 80's track from The Cutting Crew. Powerworld "heavies up" the sound quite a bit with big crunching Sabbath like riffs and the result is a version that outdoes the original by a long shot.

Quality song writing and a great, heavy and melodic sound is something that would normally come with experience and not with a debut album from a new band. But in the case of Powerworld's debut, that's exactly what you get. Some of this album is a little predictable and generic yet overall, it's very good melodic power metal that's a little heavier than most in the genre yet with the type of soaring choruses and strong vocals that are a necessity for a band like this. Just as melodic yet heavier and not as "cheesy" as Freedom Call, Powerworld shows lots of promise here with their debut album. With a few stand out tracks and others just narrowly missing the mark, the consistency and quality of this band's music is a sign of bigger and better things yet to come. Speed is not always a prerequisite for a great melodic power metal band and Powerworld's debut album is a fine example of how it can be done without it.