This is the brainchild of Enrico Pistolese, he decided to have fun and make an album with a lot of friends and bands that have inspired him throughout the years. This is the fifth full length album from the Milan, Italy Power Metal band. A lot of the guest musicians are from Italy as well. We got singers from various parts of the world and it's a plethora of talent on the forefront. I was half expecting something that was prototypical Power Metal. A genre whom I grew up with in the mid 90s. It was the heyday for the genre and you had so many bands to choose from back then. It was the Genesis, it was a sort of revolution. You had STRATOVARIUS, RHAPSODY, HAMMERFALL, ANGRA, EDGUY and countless others.

To listen to this album, I traveled back to where I came from for a few years. I wanted a good starting point when listening to the album so I walked throughout the streets of my former home town. You can see the influence of the older Power Metal bands but there is a lot to choose from in a few cases. DERDIAN dives head first into Neo-Classical Metal on a number of occasions and sometimes you think you are listening to TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. The quality of the production is top notch and most of the songs still ring in your head hours after you have listened to this very album. The first song is ''Overture''. It features Apollo Papathanasio, former singer of FIREWIND. An opener to get your groove on and it makes you want to hear more of what is to come. It's a very orchestral and symphonic intro. Apollo Papathanasio does a fine job on this one and shows how much he is so underrated.

The second song is ''Burn''. It features Henning Basse, lead singer of FIREWIND. So you have the former and current singer of FIREWIND back to back! There is a whole lot of keyboards on this one. It's a classic Power Metal song and as for the singer, I felt he sounded like a cross between ANDI DERIS and KAI HANSEN. There is a lot of space given to the rest of the band to shine and you got some really wicked guitar solos on this one. The third song is ''Beyond the Gate''. It features Gianluca Perotti, lead singer from EXTREMA, REBEL DEVIL and ALLHELLUJA. I didn't know this singer at all so I was pleasantly surprised to hear a singer with an incredible range. The vocals are on point and the chorus is extremely catchy as well. The musical arrangements made me think of the aforementioned TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA.

The fourth song is ''Battleplan''. It features Davide Damna Moras, lead singer of ELVENKING. This is a throwback to the golden years of the Power Metal genre. This song would have fit well in the mid to late nineties. The singer has such a presence about him, the charisma is overflowing. My second favorite song off the album. The fifth song is ''I Don't Wanna Die''. It features D.C. Cooper, lead singer of ROYAL HUNT. This is the weakest song of the album. D.C. Cooper is a great singer in all due respect. His voice does fit really well with ROYAL HUNT but not on this one. The guy has the vocal chops and has a very unique voice. His low and distinctive voice does not mesh well with the neo classical vibe you get from this one. The song reminded me of the last few albums from HELLOWEEN with Michael Kiske.

The sixth song is ''Screams of Agony''. It features Mark Basile, lead singer of DGM. Solid piano intro with some really solid guitar work as well. It's a very Neo-Classical song, reminiscent of early SYMPHONY X. Mark Basile is just plain awesome, I really want to check out his discography because the guy has an amazing voice. He reminds us that he may be the best Power Metal singer out there today. The seventh song is ''Lord of War''. It features Fabio Lione, lead singer of ANGRA and formerly RHAPSODY OF FIRE. Fabio Lione shows us how it's done. Even after more than 20 years in the genre, he still has the "it" factor. The guy has this tremendous energy about him and you can see with the last few albums by ANGRA that the band was invigorated by his presence. This song reminded me of a few bands that may have been overshadowed by the aforementioned genesis, like STIGMATA 4 and LABYRINTH.

The eighth song is ''Forevermore''. It features Terrence Holler, lead singer of ELDRITCH and Elisa C. Martin, former vocalist of DARK MOOR. This is pretty much a ballad and the slowest song on the album. It made me think of the slower songs from AYREON. They alternate singing and both complete themselves. Terrence Holler has one of the best voices bar none in metal and some say ELDRITCH are the best Metal band to ever come from Italy. Some parts of the song did remind me of the slower parts from ''The Astonishing'' by DREAM THEATER. Elisa has a very nice voice and haven't heard her voice in years, I had friends back in the day that loved DARK MOOR to death. The ninth song is ''Eternal Light''. It features Roberto Ramon Messina, lead singer of PHYSICAL NOISE. I have never heard of this singer or this band beforehand. It's a prototypical Power Metal song with a strong singer with some good range. They don't stray too far from the path. It's nothing mind-blowing but it's still quite enjoyable

The tenth song is ''The Hunter''. It features Ralf Scheepers, lead singer of PRIMAL FEAR. What can go wrong with the best singer in Metal? Absolutely nothing! Ralf Scheepers does an amazing job on this song and this is by far my favorite song of the album. You also have some whispering vocals added by Enrico Pistolese that add some depth to the song. This reminded me of early PRIMAL FEAR (but being far more Power Metal and traditional Heavy Metal) and it's just an amazing song. The eleventh song is ''Black Rose''. It features Andrea Bicego, lead singer of 4^th DIMENSION. The song begins with a nice piano solo and turns into a bit like LACUNA COIL. It's a departure from the rest of the album. The singer is just incredible; he has the range and such a genuine emotion in his voice. The guy sings his lungs out and you can feel the raw power. I have never heard a singer like that before...wow!

The twelfth song is ''Incitement''. It features Leo Figaro, lead singer of DRAGON GUARDIAN. It starts off very much like Classical Music (BACH, BEETHOVEN, HANDEL, etc.) It has that epicness (is that really a word?). You have a very weird vocalist that has trouble mastering the English language (ok, I know the guy is from Japan!). It definitely adds a different flavor to the song. He has a good range and you have tons of great guitar riffs on this one. The thirteenth song is ''New Era''. It features Elisa C. Martin, former vocalist of DARK MOOR. Elisa is back and on her own. She shows off all that she's got! She is in fine form and this song is also a throwback to the genre. It reminded me of early GAMMA RAY. Solid song. The fourteenth and last song of the album is ''Cage of Light''. It features Apollo Papathanasio, former singer of FIREWIND. It starts and it ends with Apollo! He reminds us how much good of a job he did with his short time in FIREWIND. I remember seeing FIREWIND live a few years back with TURISAS, the guy has such a presence and energy. Awesome rand and he shows he is one of the most underrated singers today. A great way to finish off the album.