It’s exactly twenty years since I first heard an album by Greek Metal band Innerwish. At the time I was impressed with the maturity that the band displayed in the professional melodic metal within what was just their second release and their first on LMP. A second for that label followed a couple of years later which kept the momentum flowing and another on a different label in 2010. A change of drummer and vocalist meant a slightly tighter and heavier direction in their sound could be heard with their 2016’s eponymous return, but after that, to be honest, I thought the band had decided to call it quits as some members busied themselves with other projects.
Happily however, Innerwish are back with the same line-up from that last album, re-energised and revitalised in their new home at RPM. So this is actually album number six and brims with power and melody. The band’s own style of Melodic Symphonic Power Metal evokes the sound of acts such as Firewind, Lords Of Black, Astral Doors and early Sinbreed. Musically these bands all share similar ground at times to Innerwish, but two of those comparisons are in no small part because of vocalist George Eikosipentakis having a similar gravelly delivery to Herbie Langhans, which gives the band a fabulous timeless, classic Metal vibe that lifts Innerwish even higher.
There’s plenty of variation to the Innerwish sound on “Ash Of Eternal Flame”, with the band intelligently sticking to an energetic melodic Power Metal for the majority of the album, a style that suits them perfectly and means track after track of enthralling, intriguing Metal songs dominate this splendid album. But the band also prove they can turn up the melodic hard rock when needed on tracks like ‘Higher’ and ‘Once Again’ or blend the two seamlessly as they do on the title track.
There is of course a clue to the two sides of the band’s sound, and a factor that intrigued me even more, enticing me further to hear this album. The band give Blind Guardian vocal legend Hansi Kürsch the perfect vehicle for a guest appearance on the excellent ‘Sea Of Lies’, but then round out the album with a classy, faithful cover of Blackfoot’s ‘Send Me An Angel’ from the Southern hard rockers ultra-commercial “Siogo” album! Given the Symphonic Power Metal attitude of previous tracks I admit to a little trepidation when I first played this cover. But thankfully the band totally make it work, heavying up the guitar, bass and drums admirably and allowing Eikosipentakis to absolutely shine with dexterity and power. It rounds off what has to be Innerwish’s most accomplished album to date, no doubt delighting existing fans as well as garnering plenty of new ones.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
Leave a Reply