Since the days when RAINBOW started its career with Ronnie James Dio on vocals and ACCEPT released albums with a more modern and personalized music, the foundations of what would be called Power Metal were set, with two different Schools arising on the 80s: one on USA (where the label was used by the first time) and on Germany. It's obvious the great influence that GRAVE DIGGER, RUNNING WILD, HELLOWEEN, RAGE, GAMMA RAY and BLIND GUARDIAN have on bands of the genre, but some try to use a more personal insight on music to create a particular musical work, as the Australian quintet NIGHT LEGION, as heard on "Fight or Fall", their second album.

It's a form of Heavy/Power Metal influenced deeply by early works of German Power Metal School (namely "Heavy Metal Breakdown", "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I", "Under Jolly Roger", "Perfect Man" and others from the first wave of German Power Metal), when the music was heavier and aggressive that what the genre would be in the future, but it bear that epic touch as well, and some NWOBHM traits as well. But there are moments when the band's personality appears clearly above the pile of the clichés of the genre, turning the band's music interesting, because the energy, the weight and arrangements began to take distance from their influences. It's very good to hear to it, indeed.

The lead guitarist of the quintet, Stu Marshall, is the producer´, having Chris Themelco (who is known for his studio works with DEATH ANGEL and DEATH DEALER) taking care of the mixing and mastering. The sonority is abrasive, strong and heavy (another point where things are different from German Power Metal), but clean and defined as well. And to give an extra shine on the album, the band has Mike LePond (the famous bass player of SYMPHONY X, ROSS THE BOSS, DEATH DEALER, MIKE LEPOND'S SILENT ASSASSINS and others) playing bass guitar on "The Hounds of Baskerville".

There are 9 tracks on "Fight or Fall", of them offering excellent moments to the fans, but for a first time on the album, for sure that "The Hounds of Baskerville" (excellent heavy melodies, with a great playing on the bass guitars and drums parts and excellent chorus, and tempered with some keyboards parts), "Babylon Burns" (on this one, the guitars are weaving excellent melodies, but always with heavy instrumental tunes), "Fight or Fall" (that brings some epic traits similar to MANOWAR in the 80s, again focused more on melodies and weight than in speed), "Beyond the Crimson Dawn" (this one shows some influences inherited from German Power Metal on faster parts, but with a heavier appeal, and showing very good vocals tunes), "Harvest of Sin" (another heavier song based on a fine instrumental work and with a chorus that's hard to forget once heard), and "The Hand of Death" will do the presentations as they must be done.

As last words, all that's left to do is to wish NIGHT LEGION good luck, because "Fight or Fall" enables the band for higher flights.