Melodious heavy riffs, technical solo passages, epically symphonic keyboard parts, and a female singer with a voice that has huge range and power; CRIMSON SUN are the latest in a long line of Melodic Power Metal bands to come out of Finland in the last few years, and their debut album, "Towards the Light" shows exactly where they are reaching to be. Almost from the off, superlatives are what come to mind to describe CRIMSON SUN, the songs all feature very Heavy Metal riffs, and catchy choruses, upheld with thick synthesizer and keyboard parts. The album's opening is at a breakneck tempo and has a huge, uplifting sense to it; however the choruses are incredibly catchy and definitely inspire a lot of singing along all the way through.

It's easy to hear where these guys come from, there's a whole lot of power metal and influence from symphonic metal giants like NIGHTWISH and DELAIN. What I will say though is that there is nothing massively different from those guys here- it is all very much in the same groove which (while I love that groove, it's an awesome one) is becoming increasingly common and filled up. However, there are moments where the individuality of CRIMSON SUN shines through, in a way which, if furthered and used more to the full, will help them stand out as themselves in the symphonic metal scene.

The track "Portrait Of A Ghost" offers up a more folk-metal influence, with the repeated riffs offering an almost Celtic dance-like flavor, while a few of the keyboard parts suggest almost a more techno feel. The breakdowns which appears in the middle of "Enter The Silence" sound like they come from much more of a modern place, and have a very djent-like feel with the notes crossing beats in a very rhythmically muted chug.

"Towards The Light" is another really good symphonic power metal release, and the light is definitely where CRIMSON SUN are heading, especially once they find their own unique angle (which has glimmers of coming through here). If you're looking for a new band to check out, there are many out there who would be worse to investigate!