The star power is hidden under character names for this video game company who decided to make a metal album in the form of "Smite and Ignite" from PENTAKILL. Riot Games who is best known for their game "League of Legends" came up with this concept, incorporating many video game reference points in the lyrical concepts- and I think this will gain a lot of buzz and attention from the Power Metal community.

The singers performing on these 8 songs are Jorn Lande and ZP Theart - the latter best known for his years of service in DRAGONFORCE while the former has been a constant force through his solo work and MASTERPLAN. Opening song "Lightbringer" has a slight modern meets SABBATH doom element to the verse riff, while other parts are patent Power Metal as Jorn is in his bluesy high wheelhouse in terms of delivery. The follow up "Deathfire Grasp" has more of a FIREWIND meets SYMPHONY X style, the lead break containing a number of sweep and tapping elements consist with a lot of Malmsteen/ Blackmore textures - ZP using more of his mid-range and not always ascending to those helium highs of the past.

Certain instrumentals fuse industrial / electronic parts with slight progressive intricacy in terms of the bass/ drum tempos - check out the 5:18 "Ohmwrecker" that I could see perfectly working in a high action video game. On the other hand, "The Hex Core" to my ears is a waste of four and a half minutes, something better suited for NINE INCH NAILS fans to enjoy rather than conventional Power Metal followers.

In the end you get 4 vocal led songs (2 each by the primary singers) and 4 instrumentals in a tidy 30 minute package. PENTAKILL appears to be leaning towards the sustaining interest in comics and video games - but I doubt many Power Metal fans will be fully enraptured by this. Probably best served in the hands of people who need to own everything under the sun that Jorn and ZP have been involved in - otherwise "Smite and Ignite" is average at best.