The first notes and riff of opener on this ‘With Starlight We Ride’ and I thought we were veering into Solstice territory, until it became all more symphonic and grandiose with choral sounds. Then the lead vocals come in and… well firstly it’s weird that all that epic, symphonic quality falls away and we’re left with that voice (a really good, gravelly toned but excellent ranged vocal) front and centre. So much so that I checked to see if it was his band. Nope everything written by the guitarist. It’s pretty sparky I think, delving into power metal despite the epic/doom tinged feel but two things begin to niggle. Still a nice opener once it found its epic feet.

The band are German and this is their second album so they should be firmly on the course they want to travel by now. And what is their course? Well ‘Sunrise In Eden’ is sipped deeply from the well of the mighty, unique Atlantean Kodex. Now they are for my money the greatest epic/doom band on the planet and possibly ever. Deeply intellectual, full of the ability in their songwriting to make your heart swell to bursting and your emotions overflow. This song is to me a little too close, because it automatically causes comparison to rear its head and the sound is much thinner, the vocals excellent though they are not fully integrated into the sound and the lyrics are a bit overdone (though yes, of course, far better than I could do in German). It’s ok but the unavoidable comparison hurts it more.

‘The Trial’ pretty much follows that line, perhaps a more grounded guitar sound until the refrain comes in which has a little early While Heaven Wept mixed in. It’s very well played even if the mix still bugs me but the songwriting is a little bland for me here. No biggie, not bad, just a little forgettable. The instrumental sections rely on a very tradition doom chug and is a little lacking in interest for me.

‘White Wanderer’ is once more following the trail of Atlantean Kodex; slow, swelling vocals and that rise in the music but the arrangement and the song hold it back in the foothills and this, and ‘If The Stars Should Appear’ is similar if managing a good traditional doom sound midway with that neat stomp to the riff and vocals.

I’m afraid the remainder of the album kind of slides away from me. It’s fifty odd minutes long, music played well but the songs lack for me and the production/arrangement never reaches that epic height that they so clearly want to breathe.

The band clearly know the place they want to be, but sadly at the moment a combination of arrangement, production and a sound still a little too close to their influences mean I have to pass I’m afraid.

(5/10 Gizmo)

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