That's a nice surprise for this Spanish band's debut album. Fans of Gammaray, this one is definitely for you.

I'll start by talking about the singer : it's very clear that his main inspiration is Kai Hansen, and like him he will deliver excellent vocal lines and incredible high pitched screams with such ease that you will beg for more. The guitar work is also an important part of this band, delivering excellent riffs and solos and double guitar attack in your face. The songs are very well done, although they smell Gammaray a bit too much sometimes, to a point that some might find it total copycat ; take the second song : Energy, which really sounds exactly like a Gammaray tune, with same vocal lines, and similar riffs. So originality is not the main selling point for Vhäldemar, but who cares ? I personally find their melodic power/speed metal to be brilliantly put together and this Fight To The End sounds more refreshing that New World Order if you ask me, which wasn't a demonstration of originality neither. Let's get back to vocals, the singer is very good, unfortunately he's got a funny Spanish accent from time to time, not as strong as Dark Moor' singer, but still noticeable. The choruses are very epic with the addition of very cool choirs (à la Gammaray of course). There is a few songs on the album where the singer sings more like a melodic death singer (like in the seventh song called 7 or the song Traitor), hitting higher notes and getting a lot more aggressive, although it's strange the first time, I really like these songs, and these won't remind you Gammaray, which is a good thing for Vhäldemar and their "sound identity". From time to time there's a Dark voice, some kind of narrator, and although it makes a good contrast with the singer, I would prefer if it wasn't so... well Dark :). The album finishes on a very epic song baring the name the band, this one mixes both the Gammaray vocals and the more aggressive one's to deliver a very nice balance, that song is also more progressive than the other songs with more variations in the middle of the song and a way beyond lightspeed guitar solo (maybe a bit too fast here...hehe :)).

The production is very good, especially for a debut. The cover art is beautiful, thanks to Jean-Pascal Fournier, without any doubt one of the best artist in the metal scene with Andreas Marshall and the guy who now makes the Rhapsody covers (sorry I can't remember his name right now), I don't think he works on other metal projects, but he is simply an amazing artist.

Anyway, if you like Gammaray, there's a very good chance you're gonna like Vhäldemar, despite their lack of originality, the band still delivers an excellent debut album that can only be promising for the future. Guitar solos fan will have a blast for their money (especially the instrumental track The Helmet Of War) and the vocals lines and high pitched screams throughout the album will for sure please any Kai Hansen fan. Congratulations for this solid first album, I can't wait to listen their next work !