If Dio were an angrier, taller, more alive man, he'd be one of the lead singers of EMPIRES OF EDEN. Who's to say if that is a good thing? I think I am, by virtue of working freelance for Steinmetal as one of his many review minions, and also because I always enjoy validating my own opinions in spite of what everyone else alive says. To hell with them!

This is Power Metal, but not just Power Metal. It's Power Metal that just violently shoved its face in the cocaine bucket and inhaled with full capacity. And I must say it does work. The riffing is a multi-layered sandwich of delicious guitar work and mayonnaise. The lead work is a great, creamy centre of our Power Metal Twinkie - and I don't even like Twinkies! The drumming is as tight as a drum - I was hoping to analogize drums with drums at some point, and that sentence seemed like it was it.

As Power Metal goes, expect gigantic, operatic vocal work. You may either want to ride a majestic steed across the valley to slay some fantasy beasts with your broadsword and crossbow, or you'll be indifferent to the whole deal. And at that point there is no point in trying to convince you. In short, you'll either love the vocal work or find it exhausting. I liked it. He - I should say they, because they have threevocalists - does fantastic vocal work. And not a hardcore shout in site. Top marks all around, basically.

Speaking of basically, is that a bass I hear? Yes, and that's good. That means they have a bassist, and he is also their guitarist. That's a lot of work to do, but Stu Marshall pulls it off. I'm not wearing a hat, but if I were, it would be off to him.

If there something to speak negatively of, and there is, it's the length of the album. Put shortly, this album can be exhausting. Several songs drag on and on and on to the point of wanting to either kill yourself or turn off the iPod. By the time it was over, I realized I needed a shave and that I was also about three hours late for work.

Barring that, it's pretty good. And that is all I'm going to say.