WARDRUM are a Power Metal band that I had never heard before. I had no idea what to expect going into this however I was pleasantly surprised the entire ride. "Awakening" starts out strong; the first few moments of the album are indeed a heavy almost Thrash-like sound. Immediately upon hearing the vocals it becomes apparent that this is going to be a more classical heavy metal venture. The music here is tightly written, well played, and the songs are composed in a manner that's pleasing. The pleasing however may turn off those who love harshness in their music.

The thing I love about this album is the slick guitar work. The solos are clean, intricate and plentiful. The 11^th track "Dreams in the Dark" has a really great one. Every song has leads that are a joy to listen to. Not to mention that the rest of the music is catchy while still maintaining a heavy metal flavor. The drumming is tight, fast, and loud. It sets the pace and maintains throughout the album. No complaints about musicianship here, these guys are technically sound and know how to write rock solid heavy metal. The thing in this album that wasn't particularly up my alley was the vocal style. Now I'm more of a fan of death metal, however I can appreciate a cleaner crooner taking the lead from time to time. Who doesn't love to occasionally do their own rendition of heavy metal falsetto? This type of singing isn't foreign to me however it's just not my preference. As I listened to this album however I found the vocals growing on me. Regardless of my preferences, there's no denying that Yannis Papadopoulos does a great job at keeping a rich, epic scream that matches the music. At times the shouts here turn to singing, and at times the singing gets a little sappy. In the song "Sometimes" things took an almost pop music turn. The song "On Skies of Gray" starts out with just some strumming and soft, almost whispered vocals before building up to something more epic. Now I understand this is all important to context and mood with regards to the song, however there is a certain expectation of heaviness when it comes to metal. If you like clean singing, this album has it in droves.

If you aren't already a fan of Power Metal, I don't see this album converting you. However if you like clean, crisp sounds and a high production value then I highly recommend "Awakening" as an album worth acquiring. The solos are great, the songs are catchy... This is pure refinement of a great formula and a reminder to fans that you don't have to be brutal to be metal.