WIDOW is a Heavy Metal band formed in North Carolina, USA, in the year 2000. From their webpage, WIDOW explores the Neo-Classical side of Heavy Metal, and HAMMER magazine called them a leader in the "New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal" and recognized them as a band at the front of the Melodic Metal uprising. Being a fan of Traditional/Classic Heavy Metal, I have definitely noticed an uprising of this sound in the genre today. However, some of it has been hit or miss for me. The key to a resurgence of this sound has to be finding a way to keep the material fresh and not just re-hashing the sound that Heavy Metal music naturally progressed away from once the heyday of that has passed. Was WIDOW able to do that on this, their fifth studio album? Well, "Burning Star" is certainly off to a good start. The sound is rich and full, which is often one of the flaws of this revival movement. The vocal harmonies are strong but not overdone, allowing the main riff to shine. The production is strong as well, so kudos to the production team. "Carved in Stone" is another good song, but part of that riff remind me of the chorus in the KISS song "Magic Touch."

"Wisdom" adds a touch of Power Metal to the album, but just a smidgeon. These two styles are often done in union today anyway, with a good number of modern bands blurring these lines. "Time on your Side" is the obligatory acoustic-lead softer song on the album...obligatory in the sense that you will often find one or two of these in this genre. That being said, it is nicely done. It's not an overly complicated sound, but it remains memorable and really brings melody into the forefront. "And we are One" has an opening riff that keys on the high E string, like the IRON MAIDEN song "Wasted Years," but quickly settles into a drum and bass led mid-tempo song. The opening riff rears up again after the choruses. "Live by the Flame" reminds me of DOKKEN but with a thicker guitar sound. Tender passages combine with a fueled chorus to make a song that lasts with you. The key change after the second chorus is a nice touch. Sometimes it's the little things that can make all the difference.

"Nighttime Turn" has brighter riff that registers higher on the scale. This keeps things from settling too far down and getting lost in the open E chord that is too often the base for Metal music. This song would make an excellent single and video in my opinion. "Let it Burn" closes the album. In and of itself it's a strong song, but bears too much resemblance to the chords and meter of many of the other tracks, as well as the vocal patterns. Had this band been around during the heyday of this sound, I think they would have been fairly noticeable. But on a twelve track album where the structure of the songs are all quite similar, it's easy for some to get lost in the shuffle, which is what I believe happened here. This isn't to say that the album is bad, just not something overly fresh. Their commitment to the style is noteworthy and they are tightly connected so the polish is there. Some more diversity within the confines of the traditions would have served them a bit better I believe. Widow explores the neo-classical side of heavy metal and is proud to take their influences from their own experiences plus groups such as King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Yngwie Malmsteen. The morbid personality of each member comes together to form the unique sound of the band.

Metal Hammer magazine has named WIDOW one of the leaders of the "New Wave of Traditional Metal" and is recognized as a band at the front of the melodic metal uprising. Widow explores the neo-classical side of heavy metal and is proud to take their influences from their own experiences plus groups such as King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Warlord, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Yngwie Malmsteen. The morbid personality of each member comes together to form the unique sound of the band.

Metal Hammer magazine has named WIDOW one of the leaders of the "New Wave of Traditional Metal" and is recognized as a band at the front of the melodic metal uprising.