Twilight On Humanity

After 2 independent releases, a six song debut and the Shadows Of Reality album, Zandelle has landed a deal with a major label and have their sights set on making a name for themselves in the Power Metal scene. This U.S. based band has suffered through many line-up changes over the years due to the demands as their popularity increased and the inability to commit the time and effort required to launch a band like this. This new album, Twilight On Humanity is the third release from this band and is already out in Europe. It will be released in the U.S. on November 26th.

This band really walks a fine line between what most would call a simple copy-cat style and a band that, although has a very similar sound to other bands, still manages to inject an air of originality into their music. A few tracks on this album sound like they could've very well been Hammerfall songs. In a few cases, the song style, riffing, vocals and the lyrics all bear the trademark Hammerfall sound. One big difference is the use of a big fat Iced Earth style guitar sound that adds more of an edge to their music than most other Power/True Metal acts. Songs about warlords, heroes etc. and the style of metal give this band more of a True Metal sound than Power Metal. Fast galloping riffs, great powerful lead guitar and a mix of different tempos and styles all mixed in with a few power ballad style songs results in a decent, diversified and enjoyable album.

A few tracks take on a more epic sound with very dramatic and slowly building intros and I'm pretty sure that Helloween has also been a big influence on this band. The title track Twilight On Humanity bears a strong resemblance to Keeper Of The Seven Keys. The song has the same type of structure with a very dramatic intro, lots of tempo changes and a big climatic ending complete with narration. The vocals, although decent, are a bit lacking both in the production (should be a bit louder in the mix) and in the delivery. Vocalist George Tsalikis has a good voice for the type of music they play and really sounds like Joacim Cans (Hammerfall) but at times he really has to strain to hit the higher notes. The album also suffers from a somewhat muddy production and the drum sound is a bit inconsistent. On a few tracks, the ride and crash cymbals really jump out of the mix and are a bit out of place. Other songs, where there's lots of symbol use, this doesn't happen. It seems like the drums were recorded at different times and maybe even in different studios.

Aside from the obvious Hammerfall and Iced Earth comparisons, this band has a really good sound and write pretty good songs. A few tracks stand out like Warlords Of Steel, A Heroes Quest and The Cycle. For a fairly new band on the scene, and for a debut effort (for a major label) this is a pretty good effort. If you like the True Metal of Hammerfall and the chunky heavy riffing style of Iced Earth, check this band out. There's a virtual riff-fest here with lots of songs to play air guitar to!! A decent effort, but I think this band has the potential to be even better. They've laid the ground work here for what could be a successful run for the crown so to speak in the genre of Power/True Metal. Well done guys......can't wait to hear more!!