Power Metal made in France is not the average fan's favourite game, mostly because enough bands of that genre - cause there's really enough of Power Metal music being made in France - suffer from lack of promotion from major Media plus the cases of French being the songs' language fail at first sight (even master builders SORTILEGE tasted this corrosion years ago, like it or not)...Who's to blame is not the point here - I use to put the blame on us the fans, now on second thought, most times - but with bands like ERA NOVA you cannot do something else than believe the Heavy/Power Metal of France can negotiate with the major Music Industry in better terms.

ERA NOVA's one and only release till now was a 2005 3-track demo called "Sin Eater". All of the demo's tracks are now featured in this 2010 original CD release by Pervade Productions. Taking five whole years for the band to upgrade its discography from the demo level to something more professional is a question; maybe they had enough trouble with lineup changes or lack of time in order to record a notable serious album. Cause that's what "Children Of Alcyone" finally is: a set of grown-up well-worked songs bringing some brightness rarely seen by (CD-wise) newbies in the Metal scene.

The genre is Power/Symphonic Metal but that's not enough alone; the atmosphere in "Children Of Alcyone" is melancholic and solemn but not flirting with misery. Miles away from being baptized as 'Euro Power', the metallum in ERA NOVA's prime work is wandering and melodic, still keeping - in the rhythm section at least - the Metal standards. Yeap, the double-bass speedy tunes are present, so are the milder mid-pace cuts flirting with melodic Metal. With shining guitars themes and some really appealing vocals by Andréas Martin's warm voice what you finally get is an album willing to travel you to foreign shores and lands some at other times in the past.

The production is not polished and this can act as a drawback for Power/Sympho Metal fans raised to the sounds of the last decade's Power Metal albums especially in Europe. Be it a matter of budget or some conscious decision, I do not mind at all; in the contrary, the earthly frank sound in "Children Of Alcyone" made me recall of the prime days of post-80's European Power Metal (before the e.g. EDGUY compressed 'lame sound' heyday, I'm referring to). What I'd like to re-list as a want? Some more savagery in the riffs plus a more representative cover artwork (why does it remind me of ZENO's "Runway To The Gods" album from another painting angle?).

Fans of bands like STRATOVARIUS, ANGRA, KAMELOT, ADAGIO and (some of) RHAPSODY shall find a band worth getting tied to. "Children Of Alcyone" is sweet and gentle but definitely has a Metal base being built upon.