When it happens that some illustrious and renowned members of STRATOVARIUS/SONATA ARCTICA/RISING FORCE/DIO/MY GRAIN/ALTARIA or SILENT FORCES are joining for a studio album under the mixing supervision of Matias Kupiainen (STRATOVARIUS/BATTLE BEAST/ARION), and if the whole thing is marketed by the most dynamic label Frontiers Records in Europe and the mighty Avalon/Marquee in Japan...The expectations are reasonably high and the potentiality of the outlooks are more than exciting...But the result will be able to fulfill the expectations of the audience and in line with the strong artistic focus ?

The new album titled "Stormcrow" by CAIN'S OFFERING, is the second episode of a true legitimate all-Star project initiated years ago by Mastermind/Guitarist/Songwriter Jani Liimatainen, former member of SONATA ARTICA, and a man who share a strong stylistic Melodic vision in between the tradition and the contemporary modernity composition fashion, very symptomatic of the infinite richness and the depth of the Finnish scene, far from the clichés, however, authentic and still faithfull to some Nordic inclinations, clearly a gift for the fans of the high class Power Metal tradition provided relentlessly by the Scandinavian territories for more than three decades !

The dream-team already present and effective in their first acclaimed album "Gather the Faithful" (2009) was updated and even improved by the addition to the line-up of some newest talented musicians like Mr. Jonas Kuhlberg (ex-MYGRAIN) on Bass but most of all, the one and only, the gifted Master-Keyboardist Jens Johansson from RISING FORCE/SILVER MOUNTAIN/DIO fame...Then you have it...It's the new CAIN'S OFFERING version 2.0 !

The musical color is generally hyper polished/arranged in a more orchestral and bombastic way than before, the majestic title track and "Too Tired to Run" sound is typical of this state of fact, the personnality of the band has matured for the better, even if some of the pace are locked in an exceptionally fast tempo frenzy, like on "I Will Build You A Rome" and "Constellation Of Tears" set in the famous double kick onslaught mode, enhanced with some great duelling soloing swift/exchange between Johansson and Jani Liimatainen : A great demanding virtuosic level very similar in the Full-shred-dual-attack contained and totally exhibited in the instrumental "I Am Legion" a sharp blistering epic updated with a flurry of technical details.

The songs "On The Shore" and most of all "Antemortem" are built in an ambitious method mixing the typical Scandinavian Dark Neo-Classical operatic Metal with some subtle Progressive elements like NIGHTWISH meets DARKWATER meets CIRCUS MAXIMUS meets ARION...Of course, some remaining touches coming from the old SONATA ARTICA days are still obvious at some point, as in the catchy "A Night To Forget" but with also their own attitude in superposition, yet another side of the band is shown with "The Best Of Times" that is experimenting in a few uplifting Modern Melodic parameters, a new found approach that can be also found within cuts like "Rising Sun"/"My Heart Beats For No One" even if it's not my favorite part of the disc, here as elsewhere the vocals performance by Timo Kotipelto is remarkable, like in the power ballad "Too Tired To Run"...Indeed, it's a refined album globally ranging from very good to excellent...The best palliative for the disappointed fans of Tony Kakko & Co and the perfect offering for the starving enthusiastic supporters of the High-Melodic Power Metal style that I cherish !<