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Pr0nogo
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:20 am
Posts: 85
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:02 am 
 

I'm pretty sure the standard operating procedure is that it'll take as long as it takes (keep in mind how many the queue no doubt has) and asking about it will make mods postpone it even further (didn't somebody just do that a page or so back?).

/e nvm, reading the past pages of this thread, there's no indication of punishing people who ask about it. I swear I saw it somewhere...
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BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:31 pm 
 

Unless the particular mod is feeling spiteful, you won't be ignored unless you're being especially persistent, generally. We don't have a policy on "you can only mod when you're in a good mood", so if I'm having a shitty day and you ask my why your review hasn't been judged yet, you're just asking for me to take your impatient ass around to the back of the shed. Generally, just don't do it, especially since you can see whether it's been handled or not in V2 as opposed to the constant miscommunications in V1 thanks to people not turning on email notifications.

Also that post was several months old you responded to...
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Pr0nogo
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:20 am
Posts: 85
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:09 pm 
 

Well, see, I don't read. This can make applying for mod-ship and writing reviews quite ironic.

The thread was set to 'new posts' for me, and I'd read stuff in here before, so I didn't think to check the date.
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Medrix
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:14 am
Posts: 10
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:31 pm 
 

My review got rejected. I won't complain, because the reason I was given was understandable. I just want to know if it's acceptable to add what was reportedly missing to the existing review and resubmit it?

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Napero
GedankenPanzer

Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 4:16 pm
Posts: 8817
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:44 pm 
 

Medrix wrote:
My review got rejected. I won't complain, because the reason I was given was understandable. I just want to know if it's acceptable to add what was reportedly missing to the existing review and resubmit it?

Of course. That's what the rejection notices are for.
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Medrix
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:14 am
Posts: 10
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:41 am 
 

Napero wrote:
Of course. That's what the rejection notices are for.


Groovy.

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Homer_Nava
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:19 am
Posts: 5
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:25 am 
 

Writing reviews for Metal Archives is a kind of challenge for me, it makes me to improve my english and clarify my ideas, this is very important to me because I love both Metal and english language, no problem if my reviews are rejected, I have to make a big effort.
Homer

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Napero
GedankenPanzer

Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 4:16 pm
Posts: 8817
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:48 am 
 

Homer, you could start by not using capital letters in genres. They are not proper nouns, and that "Metal" looks goofy. "English", on the other hand, is a proper noun and needs a capital E.
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Svarec
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:17 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Czech Republic
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:49 pm 
 

How long does it take to have a review checked out and accepted/denied?

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BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:02 pm 
 

Could be anywhere from ten seconds to ten weeks, the general rule of thumb is that the more well known/reviewed the release is, the longer it's going to take for us to pass judgment on it, simply because we don't look forward to reading the ten squillionth review for Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Death, Wintersun, et cetera. The trick is to always be patient, because it's literally impossible for us to overlook one or forget it entirely, it will be dealt with.

EDIT: Your review was in the queue for a whopping nine minutes before you asked. Sometimes we'll let the impatient ones sit out of spite, I get the feeling you're about to learn that firsthand.
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Metantoine
Slave to Santa

Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:00 pm
Posts: 12030
Location: Montréal
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:15 pm 
 

BastardHead wrote:
EDIT: Your review was in the queue for a whopping nine minutes before you asked. Sometimes we'll let the impatient ones sit out of spite, I get the feeling you're about to learn that firsthand.

Wow! Must be a record! Congratulations! And yes, this album already has 22 reviews, pretty boring to read to be honest.
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Smalley
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:06 am
Posts: 1327
PostPosted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:03 pm 
 

What's the prob with his post? All he did was just ask how long it takes, he didn't sound impatient about it... is there something wrong with him just being curious about the average wait time?
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Svarec
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:17 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Czech Republic
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:31 am 
 

As Smalley said, I'm not impatient, I was just curious about the average time, take it easy... :) I don't care whether it's going to take ten seconds, ten days or ten weeks, it's not so important to me. And I'm realistic, my review doesn't stand very good chance to be accepted.

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Azmodes
Ultranaut

Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:44 am
Posts: 11193
Location: Ob der Enns, Austria
PostPosted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:34 am 
 

Agreed, he was just asking, not complaining. Take it easy, guys.
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redstar2112
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:19 pm
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:04 pm 
 

I was in the middle of review I was working on for over an hour, about to head to bed, then I send it and I'm logged out, it's lost. I don't understand, is this a common problem or is this a first time? I was already signed in and wrote a few reviews before it and they were fine.

Also, my review of 2112 was rejected and there was an error which didn't tell me why it was rejected. I'm assuming it was when I called kids today pathetic for not being able to listen to a record in it's entirety. Or when I said A Passage To Bangkok was about getting high and buying drugs from foreign countries. That's what it was about. Alex Lifeson was even shown pretending to smoke a joint in concert.

I'm not a "kid" by the way. I had all the cassettes as a kid. I had The Ultimate Sin signed by drummer Randy Castillo. Had all Dio's stuff all Sabbath, Dokken, Mr. Big, Crue and AC/DC.


Last edited by redstar2112 on Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Metantoine
Slave to Santa

Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:00 pm
Posts: 12030
Location: Montréal
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:08 pm 
 

It was rejected because it didn't have musical description, sorry if I didn't write a novel explaining it, I was too frustrated with the shitty useless introduction. You also described 4 tracks with like one sentence.

Also, use Word, notepad or whatever to write your reviews, problem solved.
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redstar2112
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:19 pm
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:04 pm 
 

Well so sorry to waste your time, but you don't have to be such an ass about it. I didn't ask for a novel so back the hell off.

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redstar2112
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:19 pm
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:13 pm 
 

If you kick me off the site I don't want you to think you won something I really don't give a damn.

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MutantClannfear
Blank Czech

Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 12:12 am
Posts: 3624
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:12 pm 
 

Come on, both of you calm down. Tony, stop hazing the poor noobs... :(
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Metantoine
Slave to Santa

Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:00 pm
Posts: 12030
Location: Montréal
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:52 pm 
 

But but but he gave a 50% to one of my favorite albums! We took it to PM and all is good, I'm sorry if I've been a meanie, we get so many shitty stuff in the queues!
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Thumbman
Big Cube

Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:47 pm
Posts: 4473
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:02 pm 
 

So there will be no crushing with the bare hands today?
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redstar2112
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:19 pm
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:45 pm 
 

He's Canadian and I'm Just a Gigolo, life goes on without me.

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Buckwheatjones
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:50 pm
Posts: 6
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:47 am 
 

I just had a quick question about reviews... I'm new to this site and had two reviews rejected for a certain reason. I'm trying to learn from what I did wrong and maybe write a new review for a different album in a week or two. Could any moderators (or anyone) just let me know if for some reason my review is still not up to par and I have another review rejected, would I be at risk of having my account banned?

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Diamhea
Eats and Spits Corpses

Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:46 pm
Posts: 9275
Location: At the Heat of Winter
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 11:04 am 
 

Buckwheatjones wrote:
I just had a quick question about reviews... I'm new to this site and had two reviews rejected for a certain reason. I'm trying to learn from what I did wrong and maybe write a new review for a different album in a week or two. Could any moderators (or anyone) just let me know if for some reason my review is still not up to par and I have another review rejected, would I be at risk of having my account banned?


If you want feedback and advice to help get your reviews up to par, post one of your recently rejected ones in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16487

I am not a mod, but I have never heard of anybody getting banned for submitting below-par reviews. Intentionally spamming the review queue with pure garbage and trolling is one thing, but i am certain this isn't the case regarding yourself.
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Buckwheatjones
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:50 pm
Posts: 6
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 11:17 am 
 

Thank you.

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BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 12:03 pm 
 

The only way somebody could ever be banned for being a shitty reviewer is if they consistently resubmit the same review without ever making the changes we ask/suggest. As long as you're making an effort (which you clearly are), you're in no danger.
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Buckwheatjones
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:50 pm
Posts: 6
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:05 pm 
 

Okay thank you!

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Buckwheatjones
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:50 pm
Posts: 6
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:06 pm 
 

I appreciate you getting back to me as soon as you did

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theneuromancer
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:09 pm
Posts: 75
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:09 am 
 

I just wanted to say that I am considering starting review on this site and perhaps others as well, and I found the first post by failsaifeman was VERY well written and helped guide me in terms of the advice that was given. In fact, the forum in general was helpful, and I hope to soon apply some of the principles! I have a background in english/linberal arts/essay writing so I do not thing that english/logic/flow will be a problem, but the reading up here on some of the exact content that is desired was very helpful, since I did not consider many of these point prior to reading the thread. Thank you all for your input,

\\M// FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT IN GENERAL, AND THEREFORE, IN PARTICULAR, FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT IN METAL, THEREFORE, FEEDBACK IS METAL ! ! ! \\M//
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Axel666MoWi
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 2:57 pm
Posts: 171
Location: France
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 1:10 pm 
 

I have a question, can I wrote a review in my own language? My english is not very good, but I want to wrote a review. If I can't, it could be good for people like me to add an "other languages" review section.
Thanks!

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Diamhea
Eats and Spits Corpses

Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:46 pm
Posts: 9275
Location: At the Heat of Winter
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 1:45 pm 
 

English only.
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nuclearskull wrote:
Leave a steaming, stinking Rotting Repulsive Rotting Corpse = LIVE YOUNG - DIE FREE and move on to the NEXT form of yourself....or just be a fat Wal-Mart Mcdonalds pc of shit what do I give a fuck what you do.

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Axel666MoWi
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 2:57 pm
Posts: 171
Location: France
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 2:02 pm 
 

Ah, ok, thanks!

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yduck12
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:24 pm
Posts: 1
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:27 pm 
 

Hi,
I wrote a review that was rejected. A simple message appeared stating that I should not capitalize sub-genres. Fair enough. I quickly made the necessary changes and resubmitted it all from the same box. The resubmitted review is sitting for over, what I believe, a couple weeks. Did I make an error? Should I have taken it all down and just submitted a fixed review as if it were new?
I hope I can get some direction here because I would like to write reviews for other bands With that said, I would like to use a process that will make it smooth for all involved.
Thank you for your attention to this.
yduck12

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Derigin
The Mountain Man

Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 6:25 am
Posts: 5997
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:11 pm 
 

Seems it was accepted, so this isn't really relevant to you anymore, but there's many reasons a review might sit in the queue for some time. The most obvious reason is that there's a lot of reviews to check and a moderator hasn't gotten around to that review yet. There's only a handful of us that regularly check the review queue, so sometimes this can take a while. After all, we're all volunteers and judging reviews requires time to sit and read the review thoroughly. There are some less obvious reasons, too. Moderators are not required to judge reviews in the order that they are submitted - we pick and choose. This can be a totally random process (moderators that choose reviews at random to review), or it can be one that is thought out (moderators that choose albums/genres they know a lot about, etc.). Reviewers that are known to us are more easy to judge, too, than an unknown first timer. The density, structure, and writing style of a review can also influence whether a review requires a more thorough look, or a second/third/fourth opinion. These things take time; we do try to make things go quickly when we can.
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altec
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:43 am
Posts: 8
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:13 am 
 

Good day to you all.
i was planning to make some reviews regarding the dutch black metal scene since there are few on here.
but sorry to say i cant figure out how to post, send them for you mods to check if im doing it correctly.
so a link or a message in the "how to" fashion would be appreciated.

i understand i have to write em on my own pc so i can keep a copy and sent the review to someone. is this person going to submit the review or do i have to do that?
thanks
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MetalicHunter
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2017 8:48 pm
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:27 pm 
 

I don´t know why, but I have 3 reviews that are in "pending", one for almost a week! They don´t have "rejected" or "approved", they just stay that way.
What can I do?

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EarthsLastPicture
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:28 pm
Posts: 4
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:18 am 
 

I just submitted a review that was rejected. Napero asked for evidence that the original source was also mine (ie not plagiarism) but I can't direct message back as I haven't "participated enough in the forum" so am not sure how to communicate the message.

Anyway, I have just modified my profile at the original source for 'evidence' https://rateyourmusic.com/~UrbanIndustry but am not sure how to communicate this, so hopefully it is read here or someone is kind enough to pass it on, or even better, someone is kind enough to tell me how to deal with this in the first place.

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~Guest 502755
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 7:04 pm
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 3:32 pm 
 

What is my next action after my review was rejected? After I resubmitted the review it was shown as "draft" and not as "pending". I tried sending it a few more times (sorry, please) but it was still shown as "draft". I decided to delete this review altogether due to it not being very good, but could you please tell me what happens when I submit same review twice? Does it spam the moderators' queue? If yes, then sorry please, although in my defence I can say that I had no idea about whether it was really submitted or not.

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gasmask_colostomy
Metalhead

Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 5:38 am
Posts: 1639
Location: China
PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:04 am 
 

Diplomate wrote:
What is my next action after my review was rejected? After I resubmitted the review it was shown as "draft" and not as "pending". I tried sending it a few more times (sorry, please) but it was still shown as "draft". I decided to delete this review altogether due to it not being very good, but could you please tell me what happens when I submit same review twice? Does it spam the moderators' queue? If yes, then sorry please, although in my defence I can say that I had no idea about whether it was really submitted or not.

That seems a bit weird. You actually can't resubmit or edit a review that has been submitted.

I think if it's a draft then it means it hasn't been submitted. Maybe delete the actual review if you do that and try reposting again by copying the text back. If it keeps happening, I suggest you send a PM to a mod or go to the Suggestions and Complaints thread.

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orloff2000
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:05 am
Posts: 4
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 2:18 pm 
 

Hi there!
For the last weeks I worked hard on my first review for Metal Archives. In fact, it is my first review at all! It was really hard, because I'm a little perfectionist.
First I wrote it in German, then translated it to English, which was also challenging because I'm no English native speaker.
I tried to be factual and decent, checked all the vocabulary, used a spell checker.
I talk about other albums this album reminds me of. I talk about how the band members generally perform, the genre where it fits in, the album's production, the lyrical content.

BUT: I have to admit that I did not read your review rules before I began writing. So I fear, I bend (if not break) one of them: I added a track-by-track part at the review's end.

Usually it would never come to my mind to do a track-by-track review for the obvious reason: They tend to be totally boring.
But let me tell you why, in this case, it felt completely natural for me to do so:
I'm a heavy metal fan for over 30 years now and, I guess, I listened to more than 5,000 albums from all metal genres up to now. And, of course, I listened to all the "older" classics out there: Priest, Maiden, Motörhead, Manowar, Metallica, Slayer, Sabbath, Saxon, Accept, Running wild. And the "newer classics", too: Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Primal Fear, Iron Savior, Night Demon, Visigoth, and so on. And yes, there are some albums (maybe 10-20) where I can say: They are almost completely packed full of very good songs or even hits. But only one or two of those albums have been released in the last 20 years.
And then, 2013, Evertale released their debut album and I was stunned with my mouth open! Three vocalists, good lyrics, a superb production and, most important, great songs. No song is like the other. They are varied and full of details, which includes changing tempo, changing mood, changing atmosphere.
I know, music is always a matter of taste, but even after hundreds of run-throughs this album does not bore me. It's crazy! There are two songs that are none of my favorites, but the rest is very good or even a hit and I just felt the urge to explain why (in my opinion) these songs are so good. And therefore I also added a track-by-track part to my review.
I just do not know how I should describe this album's quality and variety without using the songs as concrete examples. I know, for most albums a track-by-track review just doesn't fit, but I hope in this special case you share my opinion!

Now, here it is:

-------------------------------------------------------------
Holy shit! What the hell is that? Sounds like Blind Guardian when they were at their best! Something like that shot to my mind when I first listened to "Of Dragons and Elves".
And the comparison to Blind Guardian is definitely meant as a compliment! I love their albums from the late 80s to the early 2000s, especially the phase "Tales from the Twilight World" / "Somewhere far beyond" / "Imaginations from the other Side". And that is exactly what Evertale's debut album reminds me of. Unconventional verse structure, great melodies and catchy choruses, strong and rough vocals from main vocalist/guitarist Matthias Graf, who gets considerable backing vocal support from his colleagues Marco Bächle (Bass) und Matthias "Woody" Holzapfel (lead guitars) on many occasions during the album. Especially Marco Bächle stands out in this - on this recording as well as at the live front. And last but not least drummer Martin Schumacher does not have to stand back behind his colleagues and is laying a solid foundation to this masterpiece.

The genre in which this album moves is "Melodic Power Metal", I guess. There are some orchestral parts, too, but they are mainly used for the short instrumentals and can barely be noticed in the real songs (with a few exceptions... but more of that later).
Regardless of that the album is dominated by fast-paced Power Metal, fantastic melodies and massive choruses. But this does not mean that these guys keep their foot on the accelerator pedal the whole time: There are some mid-tempo songs and even the fast songs have their little breathers from time to time. So surely you won't suffer from boredom here.

I guess, we have some fantasy fans and/or role-players in the band, because for the lyrical content they got inspired by the Dragonlance Chronicles, a classic of fantasy literature. I know what you think: Boring concept album! But don't worry, there is no strict concept; they got only inspired by the books. The songs are truly varied and the album's flow never feels to be forced into the corset of a concept. Furthermore, the lyrics/vocals often change perspective/protagonists which is expressed very well by the different vocalists in the band. That keeps the lyrics really interesting and you will feel the need to go to your favourite lyrics site (Metal Archives, of course) for all the details. Or just buy the album, guys! You won't regret it.

What can I say about the album's production? Well, just my highly subjective non-professional opinion after 30 years of Heavy Metal experience: The album sounds great to me! All instruments and vocals are well balanced and can be heard clearly, a fact which is really essential in this genre with all its bombast and tiny details.

But now to most important thing of all: The songs!
When I rate songs I like to classify them into five categories: "Fillers", "nothing for me", "OK", "very good" and "hit". And when I say hit, I mean it! You know that kind of songs that you have to hear over and over again: "The Trooper", "Painkiller", "Ace of Spades", "Hail and kill", "Black Hand Inn", ... you just get addicted! Here we go:

01. Paladine's Embrace (1:24): An epic orchestral intro that directly clings into your ears. Very good. By the way: Paladine is the main deity of Krynn's Pantheon.
02. In the Sign of the valiant Warrior (5:12): Fast-paced beginning, great chorus, some tempo variations in the middle, awesome ending. Very good!
03. Tale of the Everman (9:06): Unconventional Song with much lyrical content. Epic mighty stomping entry with some spoken words. Down-tuned guitars. A long chorus followed by an orchestral part with canon-like vocals from the different vocalists. Fast solo in the middle! Mighty stomping again at the end. A Song you have to work into. Very good.
04. Into the Dragon's Lair (5:26): The mid-tempo guitars at the beginning try to deceive you for some seconds until the vocals start with the great (and fast!) chorus about the black dragon Khisanth. The chorus gets slightly varied throughout the song, which is quite interesting. Tempo changes, vocalist changes, speed solo, slow solo, and then full throttle into the final chorus. A diversified song with (again) interesting lyrics. Very good.
05. Of Dragons and Elves (4:01): Acoustic guitars, some orchestra, multi-vocals. Short bombast outburst in the middle. A nice ballad in the way of "In the Forest". Very good.
06. Elventwilight (5:48): A quite varied mid-tempo song with good melodies and much lyrical content again. Unfortunately this one is not thrilling enough for my taste, despite the nice chorus, and thus I rate it "just OK".
07. As Tarsis falls (7:03): A song about the burning of the city of Tarsis. Mainly in mid-tempo, except the powerful multi-vocal chorus which is much faster. A longer instrumental part in the middle, then chorus, fast solo, slow solo (with a great melody!) and another chorus, this time much slower. A sad acoustic outro finishes this epic song that despite of its seven minutes running time always stays intresting. A stirring story, many multi-vocalist parts, great melodies... Bow to the Might of the Dragonlord or die!
08. My Honor is my Life (1:43): With this short instrumental breather we start into four songs about the Knights of Solamnia. It starts with acoustic guitars, no orchestra this time. Then the electric guitars set in and the quite sad atmosphere changes to a more defiant one. A good transition into the next song. Very good.
09. The Crownguard's Quest (6:12): Now the hits are coming, guys! An energetic song, somewhere in the upper mid-tempo, about the beginning insanity of Derek Crownguard. The first (long) verse is followed by a great pre-chorus which finally leads to the gigantic chorus (2x). Then another long verse, pre-chorus, chorus (2x). A solo with great melodies, verse, chorus, done. Flawless victory! Many tempo changes, the best parts get repeated some times (but not too often), and we have an extremely catchy sing-along-chorus for the live gigs. Intresting lyrics, changing atmosphere, an instant classic!
10. The last Knight (7:46): A great mid-tempo melody at the beginning, then it gets fast! Great bridge, pre-chorus, chorus, whatever. They are not so easy to separate this time. These really cool parts get repeated in different order. Quite energetic. Then a solo... and a sudden stop! An acoustic guitar play sets in with yet another great melody and fantastic multi-vocals, climaxed by an epic electric part with Matthias Graf's best vocal performance on the entire album (imho). Highly emotional part this one (Sturm's Sacrifice!). Then the final chorus and we're done. My favorite song on the album.
11. Sturm's Funeral March (1:59): After his sacrifice Sturm Brightblade gets a funeral with electric guitars and orchestra. Very good.
12. Firestorm (5:52): Fast. Very fast. Great verses, great bridge, great chorus. A positive and defiant atmosphere, very welcome after the more tragic parts about the Knights. Up-tempo solo, great emotions in the last verse (goosebumps!), chorus, solo, wow! Another hit that leaves us breathless and full of adrenalin.
13. Brothers in War (Forever damned) (7:49): An epic about the brothers Majere and their love-hate relationship. The acoustic intro leads us directly to the sing-along bridge. Most parts of the lyrics are performed again by all the bands vocalists and for the brothers' dialogue the band won Ralf Scheepers for a great contribution as Raistlin. A catchy chorus and a short solo get us to epic mid-tempo stomping part with downtuned guitars. The arrangement of the lyrics in the next verse (again a dialogue between the brothers) is really awesome. Chorus, solo, stomping part again, and a long finale with bridge and chorus repetition. An epic Hit!
14. The final Page (7:51): This last song is the only one where the orchestral parts stand out noticeably. Mainly in mid-tempo. Nice bridge, nice chorus. Not bad at all, but none of my favorites on this album. But because the album ends as it has begun, to the grand melody of "Paladine's Embrace", this song is absolutely OK for me.
15. Dragonriders (5:21): This one has nothing to do with the Dragonlance context and thus it has just been released as a download bonus only. Intense ballad inspired by the Eragon story. Acoustic guitars and great vocals at the beginning lead us to a fantastic chorus. Then the electric guitars set in and the following verse & chorus are far more energetic. Goosebumps! - Great melodies, great emotions. Very good!

That's it. 15 Songs, 12 without the instrumentals. And of that (for me) five songs are hits and five are very good. 64 minutes of excellent music! How long has it been that we had such an album? In the last 20 years one had to be pleased with five hits PER YEAR on all released albums!
True: The album is quite long and some may criticize that. Not me. You don't like one or another of the songs? So what? Just skip it!

You like Power Metal? You're fed off with that superficial party metal bullshit? Then you will love this album!
-------------------------------------------------------------

Have mercy and don't rip the heart out of my first review!

Regards,
orloff2000

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