Have you ever been listening to IRON MAIDEN or HAMMERFALL and thought how similar Power Metal is to some NWOBHM music? Now have you ever wondered if there was a band that fused the two together like true old school masters of Metal? Then you should like HROM from Canada! Their album "Legends of Powerheart Part I" takes music to new heights with the wailing clean vocal harmonies and the awesome guitar progressions backed by the trusty double bass rhythms. It is nine tracks of musical storytelling excellence and is a magnificently constructed concept album.

It can be difficult to describe what story is being told on a concept album without describing the entire thing, but the album title pretty much sums it up. It details a warrior's (Powerheart) adventures and different aspects of the tale that play out like a movie. The album opens up with a song describing its subject then carries on to the bass-y intro to "Citadel of Heroes." "Hellhound" asks the difficult questions of where your loyalty lies as "Virtues Decay" is written from Powerheart's perspective, asking himself if the struggle he faces is causing him to lose sight of the principles he holds dear. "Savior" is the call to a fettered hero to break free and take up his blade, as "Ancient Scrolls" describes a thirst for the knowledge of Old (and also contains a brief guitar solo at the 1:37 mark that is nicely similar to the solo in "Wounds" by the great MASTERPLAN). "Time Diamond," "Power of the World," and "Terminal Velocity" are the grande finale of the album, telling of one who rises to freedom and speeds off to find his true destiny.

One song flows seamlessly into the next and the themes are consistent in both the lyrics and the style of music being played. The guitar work is essentially a throwback, calling on all of the band's influences for the structure. And without a doubt, the drummer is the glue that beat-for-beat keeps the machine rolling that is HROM. While primarily dominated by that Power/Speed Metal feel, there are slower, more melodic portions (such as "Time Diamond") that summon the flavors of Classic Heavy Metal. The melodies are complex and extremely satisfying to hear. The harmonizing high-note vocals are capable and never miss a note, even during the (nearly perfect) wailing vibrato.

So without a doubt, this is a must-have for the avid Power Metal, NWOBHM, or even Progressive Metal fan. And to think that this band is from Canada and not from, say for example, Germany, home to an incredible number of huge Metal bands in the same vein as HROM! Now, hear the story of Powerheart and raise your swords in strength, for the awesomeness is set to astound!