Power metal act VEONITY releases their third full-length album, "Legend of Starborn" via Sliptrick Records. The album is a collection of fourteen highly ambitious tracks totaling an overwhelming 85 minutes of playing time.

Neoclassical riffs are what will welcome you into the album with opener "Rise Again". It will then be backed up by the hopeful voyage brought in by "Starborn". This song is all about its catchy big chorus played in a mid-paced tempo accompanied by down-tuned overdriven guitars. One noticeable character of the rhythm riffs is that it has a thrashy sound. Some of which actually sounded like old school Slayer, listen to "Winds of Asgard" and you might even mistake it to a SLAYER song that appeared in the album "Show no Mercy".

However, from there on, everything just seemed to die out. The overall musicality of the album can be determined by the first five tracks, you know, all the high speed tunes, down tuned riffs, and the heroic vibes. You can almost easily say that the album is well-performed, well-written and well-produced. However, there are a few issues that need to be stated. First and foremost is the obvious lack in catchiness - which power metal is all about. Not that the songs are not catchy at all, it simply falls short when it comes to that department. The choruses have done enough of their part, but when it comes to the verses, the catchiness dies helplessly.

Next issue is on the production. The prolonged play time doesn't help create an epic saga at all. There are times that everything seems to slow down, and that's not because the music creates a surreal feel, but because it takes so much time to finish a song. There are lots of instrumental passages and solos that could've been cut short. We know lots of power metal anthems that are actually beyond ten minutes long, but you have to remember, if you do that in power metal (and even in other genres) you have to keep the momentum going up - don't let it fall away. You have to keep it eventful and catchy - leave no empty space. One more thing about the production is that the instrumentals don't seem to reconcile with the singer's vocal quality and vocal range. Sometimes the instruments shout war, but the singer says "peace!". I'm not throwing eggs on the vocalist, but hey that one must be checked. To make a perfect harmony, one element must be complementary parallel to the other.

Last but not the least is the way the lyrics were written. Yes, I understand that it wants to tell a story, and yes, I like story-based power metal. But the problem is that they have given more emphasis and effort on the story line, and often times sacrificing the quality of words - making things a bit shaky. Creativity is there of course, but power metal is that one genre where glory, heroism and magic reigns. In able to do that, you'll need lots of colorful words, cryptic phrases and everything in between. That's one thing they have failed to do. I hate to say this but, if you disregard the story in the songs and look specifically on the words, they would appear be hollow and lifeless. Sad but true.