This album has all the hallmarks of a classic piece of power metal, thanks to its outward bombast, flamboyance and colourful artwork. What is less usual is that it comes fromPoland. But then where there’s a Behemoth, there’s a Riverside and a Chopin, so why not?
A dark and epic intro sets the scene nicely but even greater credit is due to pathfinder for treating us to the 8 ½ minute title track immediately after it, thus enabling us to enjoy the band’s range without interruption. To some extent we’ve heard it before – triggers, double picking and the makings of cheesiness but with an admirably deep and mellow vocal line. Pausing for breath, symphonies then strike up between the raging and exciting power metal moments. There’s a bit of Jon Anderson about these vocals. Colour is splashed liberally and it’s fluid but at this point doesn’t follow a hackneyed pattern. The result: something dynamic and majestic. Sad violins now give way to a choir. The drums are hitting 1000 rpm. Guitars harmonise perfectly with keyboards and vocals to take us to the lofty skies. It’s all happening but it’s power metal without banality. Rapid-fire intensity continues with “Ready to Die between Stars”. Les dark than “Fifth Element”, it shares the title track’s energy, speed and melodic magnetism. The mock choir and operatic tones rise above the breakneck drumming and frantic playing. It’s a eulogy to heavy metal complete with trite lyrics – “Metal is that power, the victory will be ours” – which flow cheesily into the next track “The Day When I Turn Back Time”. Lively as it is, it’s starting to dissipate into the common power metal ether.
“Chronokinesis” delivers much promise with its dark beginnings. To deep undertones, the track is enhanced by the lofty vocal operatics and epic chorus line, adding a distinct dimension to this fiery track. “Forward March! March to the Portal of Darkness” exhorts the singer on the next romp “March to the Darkest Horizon”. Away from the hype, the track extends into ethereal dreaminess. The sound is always big and epic. It’s cooling down time. The female vocalist, whose talents could have been used more, duets with the male singer in a quiet, calming song. “Yin Yang” has power and presence unlike many a ballad which fills in on a power metal album. The race resumes and sparks fly once more with “Elemental Power” before a delicately intriguing beginning marks “Ad Futuram Rei Memoriam”. Soon it’s back to furious power metal. The mood is strong and powerful and it’s helped along by the orchestral sections playing over a thumping metal background but there seems to be an undue effort to fit in all the words. Another intriguing beginning leads to the usual frantic firepower to close. “Vita” has a subtle background rhythm and the dark vocals add to the familiar canvas. And that’s it, apart from a jolly and typically melodic bonus track “Spartakus and the Sun beneath the Sea”.
Affinities are here with such bands as Rhapsody, Dragonforce, Stratovarius and Firewind. Although “Fifth Element” has many recognisable characteristics and could be seen as a standard power metal work, the clear aim is there to go beyond that. The title track is brilliant and there were moments here which could have been converted to greatness but there was an increasing and disappointing tendency to revert to type, I felt. Nevertheless it is expansive and big, “Fifth Element” has much to offer and for me, has the technique and vision to place it in the higher end of power metal works.
(6.5 / 10 Andrew Doherty)
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