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Nocturnal Rites > The Sacred Talisman > Reviews > UltraBoris
Nocturnal Rites - The Sacred Talisman

More great fun catchy power metal - 79%

UltraBoris, January 4th, 2003

So this is what European power metal should sound like. Not excessively double-bassed, and pretty damn heavy. A nice album in the vein of Helloween's Keeper series. It's a bit more traditional sounding than the album that came before it, and is not all that distant from some Hammerfall with its use of the well-timed speed metal riff.

"Destiny Calls", "When Fire Comes to Ice" are total speed metal - but other times the album is more straightforward power metal, including one of the catchiest power metal songs ever, in "Eternity Holds". Holds what, you may ask? Who cares, it's a total fucking owning song. This is the power-metal equivalent of "People of the Lie". Monster fucking headbanging riffage.

Lots of sing-along choruses, headbanging anthems, and even the obligatory ballad ("The Legend Lives On") doesn't blow total donkey balls, though it is the weakest on here. Some people can't stand the vocalist, but he is perfectly fine, and very distinct.

You like Hammerfall? This isn't quite as speedy but it's still well worth getting.