When this release popped up on my computer a little while ago I was confused as to what it was going to sound like because I did the research on this band so long ago that I did not remember anything about it. When I redid the research for it, nothing on the page seemed familiar so I came to the conclusion that I was drunk when I did the original research. On the upside though it turned out to be an outstanding debut on a band that some pretty famous Power Metal bands in its lineage.
The band had its beginnings in 2004 with former lead vocalist of Firewind, Stephen Fredrick. He then recruited Vainglory guitarist Corbin King, Zanister bassist James Martin and drummer Stian Kristofferson from Pagan's Mind and Firewind. Sense Your Darkness was under the helm of guitar virtuoso David T. Chastain, who did an absolutely great job with the album.
Having never heard Firewind with Stephen fronting them his vocals were a new experience to me. His vocals are definitely the highlight of the entire album with somewhat of a rough, and almost aggressive but still melodic feel to them. The vocals are kind of hard to describe which is particularly good because a new sound is always welcome to these ears as well as the Power Metal community, which has quite a few generic sounding bands within its ranks.
Having David produce this album I am sure helped the guitar on the album overall because they also stand out a lot. The album is littered with guitar solos and tweaks on the fret board. One of the better solos on the album in my opinion is one from I Fight Alone, which also happens to be one of the better tracks on the album.
On the whole this album is one of the better Power Metal releases this year. I cannot really say enough about this album. The only real tiny fault I could find was the lyrics on Make Me A Man, I just found them cheesy and ridiculous.
This is a must purchase for fans of Firewind or any other bands that its members have been in. I definitely look forward to hearing more from this band.
- Album Highlights: I Fight Alone, Sense Your Darkness and Dressed Up As God.