They say "never judge a book by its cover" but this is exactly what I did with "From The Beginning To The End". The fantasy artwork in the cover caught my eye from the very first glimpse and I chose to review this release without even checking the music label saying Euro Power Metal. It is not a secret that I am not a fan of this genre and many times in the past I have buried similar albums since I believe they sound pretty much alike. On the other hand there can always be surprise in places that you rarely visit.

And what a delight that was! The second albums by the Swiss band PERTNESS earn my interest right away with the album opener "From the Beginning". The teutonic rhythm guitar section and the MAIDEN-esque riff welcomed the wonderful harness of the vocals that pointed towards GRAVE DIGGER without second thought. The mid tempo builds a hearty epic atmosphere that I dare to say little has to do with the nowadays simple-as-hell approach of the majority of the Euro Power bands. Even though the band was formed in 1993, ten years had to pass for the first full length PERTNESS to see the light of the day under the title "Seven Times Eternity". All those years did not go in vain since the band sound extremely solid possessing a distinct sound that is capable to distinguish their music identity from the crowded Euro Power Metal scene. PERTNESS have matured from their debut release by producing more complicated compositions making one step further from the simple sing-along recipes. Additionally, the average bpm decrease have revealed this epic shining lining enhancing the story-telling attitude reminding of BLIND GUARDIAN early works as heard in song like "The Legacy" or "Another Innocent Victim". As I said the vocals has some from Chris Boltendahl's reading but this is not the only connection with GRAVE DIGGER; the guitars have been strongly influenced from the German band especially in the epic parts of songs like "Decline", "Walk Alone" and "The End" where the minimal keyboard work built the tension that seeks salvation through the guitar distortion.

The highlight of the album is by far "Remember Their Faces"; the main melody is mind blowing and will make push the 'repeat' button many times. The galloping rhythm is of course given in the early MAIDEN way and lead to the killer chorus and the addictive guitar melodies. The six minutes of this song are simply not enough to enjoy the excellent guitar work and the fast tempo breaks.

Not only PERTNESS prove with this album how much have improved from their debut but also reveal their potentials to go even higher. This is not an album just for the Power Metal fan; it is recommended for all the classic Heavy Metal fans out there! Please see/listen for yourself by watching the video for "Invisible Chains" below...