ASTERISE is a power metal project of international origins, hailing from both Greece and Poland. They formed in 2018 and their latest album, “Tale of a Wandering Soul” is their second full-length album. It’s actually more of an “opera” of sorts with various rotating guests of musicians, along the lines of Ayreon or Avantasia. This ensemble cast works very well and I found it to be much less pretentious and progressive than many of these other types of projects. This is basically straight up power metal—of which you’ll get no complaints from them. From beginning to end, this is a solid album without any real stand out tracks but that also means they are all good without any bad ones. Sometimes an album is about the overall experience rather than the individual songs and I feel this is one of those situations. Simply put, you could press play on any song on the album and be guaranteed to have a blast, providing you like power metal to begin with.

The production is about what you would expect: shiny, loud, crystal clear, and with very little bass presence. As with nearly every power metal album I’ve ever heard, this could definitely use more “oomph” in the low end but, hey, it is what it is. The album begins with the simple but to the point titled song “Intro.” It’s actually pretty good with a short but sweet sound that is grandiose and whimsical. It doesn’t flow into the next song at all but it does a decent job in building up the album’s momentum. The first full song is the banger “Twisted Ferryman.” It’s riffs are balanced between melody and razor sharp notes while the tempo is fast paced. The vocals are solid and the whole song is catchy, including the chorus which soars pretty high. The guitar solos are insane and provide a a crazy performance without going overboard.

“Raven,” is one of the best songs on the album, showing off the album’s dynamics very early on. The opening is atmospheric with clever usage of subtle keys and clean instrumentation. The vocals are gentle but expressive, working very well with the opening moments. The song gets heavy and the vocals more soaring as the song moves forward. The song doesn’t get very fast but pick up pace near the end. The album throws a slight curveball into the mix with “Drifting Into Darkness,” which, at times, is so fast that it’s nearly thrash/speed metal in its ferocity. The vocals are somewhat rough in places, a gripping combination of screaming and falsetto wails. It’s effective in making this song darker and more intense than the others—I found myself returning to this song.

I really enjoy the playful nature of “Golden Land,” including the opening keys and the jaunty lyrical stanzas. This kind of reminds me of STRATOVARIUS and that’s nothing but a good thing. The different vocalists are used very well across the song, giving each section something just different enough. The keyboard solo near the end is fantastic! The final song is the aptly titled “Farewell,” and I suppose this would be the so-called ballad of the song. The keys are simple but fit the song’s somber/melancholic mood. The vocals, especially the female ones, are great and among the best performances on the album. The song does get heavy, offering heavy riffs that land like cement and hang in the air as the vocals run through the atmosphere. It picks up the pace around the halfway mark, not content on just being a ballad. This song is a great way to end the album for sure.

All in all, ASTERISE’s “Tale of a Wandering Soul,” isn’t going to win any words for its mind blowing originality but it does what any power album should do: provide a solid, no frills experience of melodic but heavy and imaginative music.