The newest exciting release from Äänekoski, Dragon Throne offers up "Tale of the Two: Dusk," the first in a two-part release series. Originally forming as an instrumental duo, Dragon Throne claims to play a mix of old school metal, with the welcome addition of bombastic symphonic elements and modern sensibilities. A spin on power metal, for short. The project focuses on Asia, with the addition of traditional Asian instruments such as the koto, erhu and the shakuhachi. They also say that this new album is way more progressive in it's sound, so I am quite excited to hear what's inside "Tale of the Two: Dusk."

The quick opening track is titled "炎," which is the Chinese symbol for "inflammation," or so Google Translate says. The huge orchestrations come alive, and we get our first taste of traditional Asian instruments. A fascinating opener. The first "proper" track, "Dream of a World," and I get more of a taste for what's to come. The drums follow the galloping sound of power metal, and the melodic clean vocals are in the power realm as well. The vocals are mostly sung, with some chanting, and they are solid, but can be a little weak at some points. Not to the point of distraction, though. The guitar solo is even more power-y. A sad lack of Asian influences here, but I'm sure they're saved for when they're properly needed. The next track is "Tale of the Two." A somewhat heavier, yet more melodic song. I hear some piano in the back, which fills the melody along with some strings. I believe "Revelation" is some sort of interlude, as it is a shorter track, and just like the opening, the traditional instruments appear. The blowing of the shakuhachi, and the plucking of the koto are very interesting sounds, and I wish I could hear more of them throughout the songs.

The next full track is "Absolution," opening with the bass, and evolving into another proper power metal composition. This song is the first to feature harsh vocals, and this may be an instance where I prefer the cleans. The riffs are solid, and it may not be the heaviest thing ever, it does get the job done if the mood you're in requires a mood boost. A very lengthy but well-executed guitar just about wraps up the track, and we're on to "Honorbound." Everything feels tighter, and a definite highlight of the record so far. The track has some groove to it, and the whole package feels a bit more like the power metal I like. Again, none of those fun instruments. Also, there's another form of vocals, these ones being slightly black metal-ish. Why not? The album concludes with "Dragon Throne," a callback to the band's name. FINALLY! I hear some of those instruments within a song! The tempo picks up, and the harsh vocals return. The song feels like a recap of the album, and I really dig it. I dig the album, too.

This was a pretty fun listen provided by Dragon Throne. Even though I wish the cool Asian instruments were more prominent, I still got my ear's worth. The clean vocals also could be stronger overall, as they can get a bit whiny with prolonged use, but overall, "Tale of the Two: Dusk" gave me about half an hour of fun power metal. I'll be waiting for the sequel, too.