KALEDON is an Italian Power Metal band formed in 1998. After 24 years and 11 albums, they've become a major player on the European metal scene. With two guitarists and a keyboard player, they are the epitome of what Power Metal has grown to be and having Michele Guaitoli on vocals only gives them more "street cred." "Legend of the Forgotten Reign - Chapter VII-Evil Awakens" was released on September 23, 2022, via Beyond the Storm Records.

As with many Power Metal albums, this one opens with an overture of sorts to set the tone. "Renascentia Noctis" has a bit of a modern feel with a tribal backing. The keys focus one way, and the drums go another. They build until the transition to "At the Gates of The Realms" slams you back in your seat with a powerful blast of sound. The keys are rapid-fire, the guitars aggressive, and the drums outpace them both, combined. The chorus is melodic as are the verses. The interludes, leads and transitions are full of fury.

Moving to "The Eye of The Storm," we get a bass lead into the intro. Coupled with the random drum fills throughout, you get a great example of the Power Metal formula that works so well. We fans crave, require, this almost as much as the epic lyrics and guitar/keyboard battles. We demand that every musician in the band be stellar, and KALEDON does not disappoint.

"Emperor of the Night" has a sludgy, yet bombastic, intro. At almost eight minutes, it's the longest song on the record. It has Progressive Metal elements with the tempo and time signature shifts throughout. The mood and tone of the track change a few times, taking us on a mental and emotional journey based on the cinematic score of the music and the epic tale of the lyrics. The chants, coupled with the choir in the background, transition us from one section to another seamlessly. This song is lyrically and musically a victory in every sense.

Heading to "The End of Time," we get one of the fastest riffs on the disc, and that is saying something. The guitars on this album are brutal in their tempo, beautiful in their tones and textures. Again, we have a choir that really shows the range of the songwriting, pushing the limits of what the vocals can be and matching it to the music.

"The Story Comes to An End?" is a fantastic conclusion to this record. Especially if you consider this is the seventh installment of an entire world-building story KALEDON has been working on for over 20 years. Using the question mark allows them to either put this story to rest or continue, giving the band a chance to get a feel from the fans on whether to keep this going. More and more, fan input factors into the direction a band can and will go in the future. It gives the fans a bit more agency, allowing them to feel like a part of the band, not just a listener.

KALEDON really pieced this album together well. The lyrics and vocal delivery match the epic nature of the compositions. The excellence of the individual performance's aggregates into a magnificent record that is full of massive twists and turns, all while staying firmly in the Power Metal genre and only briefly venturing into Progressive and Symphonic Metal. While those elements are ever-present, they are always secondary to the core Power Metal realm. This is one of the top Power Metal albums of the year.