FAIRYLAND is a five piece Symphonic Power Metal band from Nice, France. They have been active since 1997 under various names including FANTASIA, FERREOL and FANTASY and since 2003, they are known as FAIRYLAND. This is their first album in over 11 years and fourth full-length album overall. The Medieval Fantasy lyrical theme is still ever present and they created their own universe and it's something that takes time to really craft. It's awesome to bring your ideas and your world to life and they give a lot of love to the fantasy aspect making a rather pleasant experience throughout.

As a fan of Power Metal, albeit a fairly casual one, including older bands like STRATOVARIUS, HAMMERFALL, EDGUY and RHAPSODY, my interest in newer bands (or lesser known bands) is pretty limited. I was taking a chance on FAIRYLAND and not many Power Metal Bands (albeit this one has the Symphonic Power Metal element to it) have really picked my interest in the last decade or so. I wasn't expecting the degree of excellence that FAIRYLAND demonstrate across this entire album of cinematic anthems to adventure and wonder. What I discovered were lush epic songs of dragons, swords, kingdoms and sorcery, with a musicianship that was surprising. It's like if you had a mix of RHAPSODY OF FIRE, SYMPHONY X and DRAGONFORCE. They really echo the best parts of each of these bands and blend it quite well all together.

The music feels triumphant and very cinematic. All I can say is the music is very uplifting, very chorus driven and quite energetic. It's the type of album that will make you smile, will make you feel great about yourself. It's a very optimistic album and very grandiose, from the keyboards to the Violin (especially on ''Heralds of the Green Lands''). It is a very story-driven album and you feel fully immersed in their own universe they created. That really shows the labour of love for their music and it was a nice touch. Even though it's almost an hour long, it breezes by and nothing seems to drag on and that's pretty damn difficult for the genre. The transition from one song to another is seamless and the album flows perfectly. This is how you do Symphonic Metal and bands should take note of what they are doing because they are doing it the right way through and through.