German power metal veterans TORIAN return into the spotlight with their latest release "God of Storms" following their 2012 album "Dawn". The album brags ten sophisticated heroic power metal hymns which primarily discuss life adventures, strength, and rising above challenges. The musicality of the album is blood-pumping and spirit-lifting. It has a very positive and triumphant overall sound with lots of epic guitar solos, electrifying lightning fast drums and a solid bass bedrock. The use of multiple layered vocals and lots of big choirs are mainly responsible to the heroic theme of the songs. The choruses sound as if it was a battle anthem sung by a thousand armies. It's like STRATOVARIUS meets RHAPSODY meets TWILIGHT FORCE for a quick reference.

From the anthemic and triumphant "Old Friend Failure" down to the epic saga of "A Glorious Downfall", everything is simply put glorious. The ferocity of the drum beats and the energy of the riffs come crashing down like a thundering avalanche while the multi-layered vocals act like a gang of hunters riding against the current on a quest to conquer the summit. The song "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" speaks in behalf of the album. What the title says is what it is, and the rest of the songs. The march-themed chorus makes a perfect battle cry in the actual battle field of life. The song as a whole is morale-raising, regardless if you understand the lyrics of not. The ferocious tunes and the constantly energizing notes send a certain kind of unspoken message that could make you feel indestructible. Of course, it is still much better if you know the words, for this song makes a very good live performance, with the traditional "fist in the air" gesture.

The album also has a considerable amount of harsh vocals with the track "Saint of the Fallen". If you have already heard the album "Age of Revolution" which was released earlier this year by the American prog-power metal debutants IMMORTAL GUARDIAN, you'll know exactly how they did it. The transition from the harsh vocals to the clean vocals is so smooth that it would seem that no change actually happened. This of course is partnered by an intense and heavy tune in a mid-paced tempo led by the guitars. "Stonehearted Nation" is that one song that is a bit different from the others. I'd like to deem it a semi-power ballad. It has a very mellow intro but reinforced by heavy tunes shortly after. Although the vocals is delivered in a calmer way, it is still purely power metal because of the element of catchiness and the use of choirs. "A Glorious Downfall" is a monumental conclusion to the album. It is the longest entry with nearly nine minutes of play time. Its form can be compared to "Keeper of the Seven Keys". It is considerably slow, has lots of high notes, and there is an ultra long instrumental part with lots of mood shifts in the middle of the song. It is easily the most epic of all the entries in the album

The album is a combination of classic and modern power metal. Perfect for fans of STRATOVARIUS, RHAPSODY, TWILIGHT FORCE, DRAGONFORCE, and SONATA ARCTICA. Highly recommended!