Long Forgotten Dreams

Whenever a band opts for a hybrid style of heavy and power metal, and the primary point of influence is not Helloween or Manowar, what occurs tends to be a battle between the measured melodic approach of Iron Maiden and the more frenetic approach of Judas Priest that generally informed the subsequent German speed metal scene. In the case of the recently forged Bulgarian quintet Ellysium, the pendulum has clearly swung towards the former, though the swifter influence of the latter is by no means absent from the equation and they've made a decent effort to present a modernized approach that contrasts with the orthodoxy exhibited by adherents of the NWOTHM. Blazing an independent trail with a relative newcomer in the engineer's chair, this fold's recently unearthed debut Long Forgotten Dreams might be judged an amateur affair, but what comes to pass exhibits a level of professionalism befitting the lofty album art that adorns it.

Though by no means a conceptual offering, there is a recurring theme of dreams and otherworldly storytelling that draws these otherwise disparate anthems together, and there is a matching sense of continuity within the album's overall structure and flow that gives things an anthology-like character. Generally the album opts for a traditional instrumentation of guitars, bass and drums that leans a bit more closely to an old school heavy metal vibe, but the lullaby-like keyboard instrumentals that bookend things cuts pretty strongly against this being a throwback to 1984, as does the more biting guitar tone and the ultra-precise character of the drums. Indeed, when considering the heavy-handed yet precision-based approach of Ivan Kolev's drum work and the mid-ranged baritone and generally clean quality of Ivan Stoev's vocal work, this album occasionally gives off progressive vibes, though the songwriting largely avoids excessive instrumental asides that would tilt things into more of a post-2003 Iron Maiden mold.

Indeed, while the highly aggressive tone of the instrumentation and the greater reliance on double bass drum work than typical Iron Maiden fair put this fairly close to sounding like Sofia's answer to Dendera, there are elements at play that swing this a bit closer to a 90s, Fear Of The Dark type of feel. This is particularly the case with the guitar solo interchanges between Boev and Marinov, which come so close to perfectly channeling the old Murray vs. Gers battles that one might be forced to check the album art again to make sure that Eddie isn't there emerging from a tree beneath the midnight sky. The odd element out is the bass work of Boris Tsvetkov, which mostly shies away from the level of prominence that Steve Harris would garner, though his bass work is a bit more active and easy to differentiate from the rest of the arrangement than the bare bones Ian Hill approach. Overall, there is a clear emphasis on balancing individual flair with parts that serve the entire arrangement, and the album is well served by it.

The ebb and flow from one song to the next is the primary distinction that this album shares relative to its influences, as the totality of things has a decidedly 2022 character to it. Opting to be more of a grower, the opening metallic foray "Full Moon" sticks to a mid-paced roar and features a stripped down, hook-driven approach, while managing to sneak in some fun galloping moments. The Edgar Allen Poe-inspired successor "The Raven" turns up the heaviness notch a bit and features a somewhat busier riff set, but generally sticks to the same mid-paced and accessible mode metallic mayhem, ditto the more down-tempo and 80s-infused banger "Long Walk". However, once this album gets going, caution is thrown to the wind as the double kick action and speed riffs are thrown down like a massive gauntlet, with the almost thrashing beast "Immortal One" and the Painkiller-like speed anthem "Memento Mori" being the most off the hook of the bunch, though the cruising crusher "(Per Aspera) Ad Astra" is no slouch, and the closing 7 minute slough "The Pact" has many apex moments and riveting gallop-happy moments right out of the classic mid-80s heyday of Maiden.

As far as debuts go by newcomers to the power metal scene, this is among the more impressive feats of balancing modernity with a traditional template that will straddle the fence between NWOTHM fanatics and those with a penchant for the German end of the speed/power metal spectrum of the 2000s as effectively as anyone. It's exceptional qualities don't immediately become apparent at first listen, as the album takes its time to get from a mid-paced stride to the sort of full on sprint that most power metal consumers want right out of the gate and even the traditional guard tend to expect immediately after a brief instrumental prelude, but it has plenty of staying power once it breaks out. Those who want their power metal without all of the symphonic and campy gimmickry that tends to be along for the ride will definitely want to given this Sofian upstart a listen.