"Perseverance" is U.S power metal band's ZANDELLE's fifth studio album. With almost twenty years of hard work under their belts; and that's why you shouldn't be surprised to learn the album bears the unmistakable effortless fluidity of sound only many years of experience can great.

Yeah, I'll try not to dislocate my shoulder clapping myself on the back for that last sentence.Okay kids, who knows how you make a quintessential power metal band? Yes Timmy, you start off with lightning-fast (although very melodic) riffs, very good! And yes, Jimmy, you'd better add some keyboards for that epic atmosphere! And of course, Susan, you must have a kickass drummer and a vocalist with lungs made of uranium-235.

These guys have all this, with two much rarer traits: Firstly, the backing vocals (done by all members of the band except the bass player - did somebody tell Glenn Fricker about that yet?) are simply massive, and apart from the power and battle-cry quality such vocals usually lend to songs, it adds huge depth to the songs. Second, the keyboardist and guitarist trade off lightning-paced solos all the time - the effect is similar to when you have two kickass guitarists, but the slight change in sound from the keyboards makes it very interesting.

Naturally in the genre, a lot of the music has some form of neoclassical influence, which can turn stuffy. They solve it by throwing in every so often a very classical phrase so obviously tongue-in-cheek you can't not laugh. I love people who don't take themselves too seriously.However, in those two also lies a great problem in the band's sound, I think: everything is too fast. There is great emotional power in slow leads that is usually lost when you go full-shred, with the solos mostly sounding like a contest of how many notes with can play a second. The very few solos that actually have space in them (tucked around the end of the record) are immensely superior to all the rest, and act to prove these guys can do it if they put their minds to it. And as for the vocalist? Powerful voice, in the higher register. Like I said, U-235 lungs. Look it up.