Certain things are really forever. I say this because when melodic Power Metal arose on the end of the 90's, with new legions of bands taking the world by storm. Some bands, of course, engraved their names on the Metal history, as RHAPSODY OV FIRE, ANGRA, SONATA ARCTICA, ELVENKING and many others, but some bands are still on fight, to bring their names to a broader public. And one of those bands is the Italian sextet KALEDON, having a great work. And now, they have a reissue for us, from their fourth album "Legend of the Forgotten Reign - Chapter IV: Twilight of the Gods".

We can for sure we can label them as "Italian Power Metal", because the Italians bands of the style have some features in common, and the greatest of them is the class. Yes, class, because I really don't remember of a band out of their country who can have this touch of class that they have. And they really know how to use their keyboards to create an epic and grandiose atmosphere, along with excellent guitars and powerful rhythmic session. And of course the vocals are excellent, but using some contrasts between high and low tunes of voice. And all these elements together created an intense and heavy music, with tons of double bass on drums, but with a technique that seems a bit with Prog Metal bands, but heavier and not as disperse as some sound.

Giuseppe Orlando did the recording, mixing and mastering of the original version, but this one was especially re-mastered, again having Orlando on this part of the process. The sound quality is heavy, clean and grandiose, as the band needs to be. And the cover was redone by Felipe Machado Franco, a step ahead of the original cover.

The album is excellent from the beginning until its end, but its finest moments are "The Holy Water" (great chorus on a song as melodic as full of class. And what very good vocals we can find here), the hooking and beautiful "War Plans" (with some astonishing riffs and keyboards parts), the energetic "Clash of the Titans" (again a fine and catching chorus), and the climatic and full of rhythmic changes "The Fury" (almost a ballad, with fine keyboards and excellent rhythmic session once more created by bass guitar and drums). But all of these were with the lineup that recorded the first version, and as bonuses, we have recorded version for "The Holy Water" and "Into the Fog", now with Michele Guaitoli on vocals, Paolo Campitelli on keyboards and Massimiliano Santori on Drums. These versions are excellent, and I must say that Michele can become one of the best Italian vocalists alone with Fabio Lione. To be honest, I believe that KALEDON can be far greater than some bands of the style that are tired of playing and recording. And no, I'm not drunk or overreacting, but being honest.

What a great band!<