An excellent album of inventive power-metal that takes the marries a folk-influence to the guitar attack with similar effect to Fintroll yet replaces a growler with a singer with a result that could see them earn a place alongside the likes of Blind Guardian, Rhapsody and Elvenking. All acts they unsurprisingly name as influences.

Anyone who like me was knocked out by Luca Turelli's debut solo album The King Of The Nordic Twilight will find much to enjoy here with the fantastically epic "Goblin's Song" being a particularly good advert of Spell Blast's inventiveness and "Lost In The Forest" another marvellous showcase of the bands ability to produce memorable music and something distinctly unique.

Elsewhere titles like "Knights Of Darkness", "Legend Of The Ice Wolf" and "Sign Of The Unicorns" give a clear indication on the nature of the lyrics resplendent throughout the disc.

With catchy melodies, stirring choruses and offbeat folk-fused interludes this is a fine example of inventive, epic power metal and a welcome return for a genre that's gone a bit quiet recently.

****

Review by Bill Leslie

***** Out of this world | **** Pretty damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly