Wicked Saint or Righteous Sinner

Paradoxical sayings can be an effective way of conveying a point, as well as reveal something unique about a band. Arguably a favorite paradox that is used to poke fun at the lighter side of power metal is the ironically intended notion of the "serious power metal" style, as if dabbling in Sci-FI and high fantasy themes are a joking matter that don't offer up a more serious, albeit metaphorical take on things. To be fair, there is definitely something to be said for bands that hang on the themes of metal cultural cliches and partying, but what most have in mind when thinking of a more serious brand of power metal is what the now defunct Dawn Of Silence were briefly in the business of creating. While much of this pertains to their choice in lyrical subjects, which deal with philosophical concepts and interpersonal relations, it also concerns their more old school and stripped down approach to their style, while maintaining a modern air that keeps it from screaming throwback right into the listener's ear.

For all the darkness that is seemingly conveyed in the album art, this Swedish outfit's second studio LP Wicked Saint Or Righteous Sinner (a seemingly paradoxical title, but not really), is fairly standard by power metal standards. A heavy degree of influence from a number of noteworthy heavy and power metal acts from Sweden and Germany inform the character of this album, namely Edguy, Hammerfall, Masterplan, Dream Evil and Nocturnal Rites. It likewise imports a fair amount of influence from the Iron Maiden paradigm, particularly in terms of intermittent lead guitar harmonies that cropped up on a more sustained basis on Piece Of Mind and Powerslave. It differs from many of the aforementioned bands by translating these influences into a modern, heavier and more guitar oriented character that generally avoids keyboard usage, save a fleeting little intro to kick off the first song on the album, not all that dissimilar to the comparably darker and equally non-prolific act Saint Deamon.

Most of the time, the musical contents of this album tends to come off as a bit too methodical and orthodox, falling maybe just a tad bit short of being contrived. It tends to avoid excess in terms of technique and tempo, eschewing the speed metal character that tended to dominate the pre-2005 paradigm in favor of a more rocking, mid-paced sound that has a fair amount in common with recent Edguy outings, minus the goofiness. The slower, grooving numbers such as "Crucifire" and "Masquerade" really underscore the heaviness factor in the riff department, though the chorus sections definitely have an arena character to them that cuts towards a lighter feel. Much of the rest of the album coasts a bit faster, in the sort of faster but not speeding character of the average successor of Helloween's "I Want Out", but a bit darker and with occasional faster bursts, of which "Escape The Night", "Away From Heaven" and "Shadow Of Guilt" are the most memorable and sing-along worthy.

While the overall demeanor of this album is fairly predictable, from the derivative songwriting, sufficient yet not outstanding lead guitar breaks, there is one element on here that really shatters the mold, namely vocalist Patrik Johansson. His performance on here can be best described as exceptional, taking a similarly raspy yet mostly smooth approach most comparable to that of Tobias Sammet and breathing a celebratory charm into otherwise average songs with above average production qualities. It's definitely a different vocal persona than the one he is known for now with Bloodbound, but it isn't hard to see how this album ended up getting "Pata" his current gig with said outfit. This isn't to necessarily say that the rest of this band are absolute slouches at their instruments, but the vocals definitely carry things from middle of the road metal to something that could stand a second or third listen.

Though this is probably among the smarter sounding albums to come out in this style in recent history, it doesn't quite close the deal in terms of overall distinctiveness. If not for Johansson's vocals, it wouldn't be difficult to mistake this for a number of bands that have come and gone over the course of the past seven or eight years. In truth, the first inclination of many could well be to think of this as an album that Edguy should have put out in place of Tinnitus Sanctus or Age Of The Joker (said band's worst two albums to date). It's definitely fun for an occasional listen, but the songs tend to be so formulaic and predictable that they lose their luster upon repeated listens. This is essentially the final testament of a band that didn't quite break through into the big leagues, but they did manage to leave a few cracks before calling it a night.