Magnus Imperium

To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about this band, except for the fact that it's French and that it's signed to a subdivision of Musea, a very progressive-oriented label, already exposing some interesting French prog-metal bands to the world, such as Elvaron and Cymoryl... And while some progressive touches are quite noticeable on this release, Falkirk are first and foremost a heavy metal band, with a serious accent on interesting and catchy songwriting.

So musically this is somewhere in the vein of power and traditional heavy metal, very melodical - but still maintaining thenecessary attitude throughout the whole release. The somewhat generic, persistent power-metallish riffs can be found in every song, complimented by an occassional thrashy riff or a catchy interlude. The guitar work on this album is simply amazing - while not as complex as on some progressive releases, it's still very melodical and ever-present. The amount of guitar interludes is stunningly overwhelming, with classically-inspired solos skillfully crafted and never looking out of place. At times, things can get much too mellow, slowing down a little (the pace of the songs is very much unpredictable and fluctuates a lot), only to be "reawakened" by some REALLY powerful compositions, such as "Beware My Wrath" or, what is probably my favorite song on the whole album, the lengthy "Empire For Legacy." ANY doubts about these guys' sexual orientation will be brutally crushed once you get to this track, I guarantee it...

There are absolutely NO fillers on this album, though the consistency in the actual songs might be a little frustrating for those who prefer to listen to compositions that maintain their original pace - but that's merely an issue of strong diverse musicianship, rather than inconsistency. The lyrics can be irritating to an English major, but given this album's theme and the band's situation, I think that Falkirk have done an amazing job not making the lyrics overly cheesy, and somewhere, actually catchy and right-to-the-point. Aside from guitars, there are keyboards and some orchestral arrangements present, creating an interesting atmosphere, sometimes though being thrown there in uncontrolled amounts, directing the band into the progressive camp. But make no mistake - you won't find those typical progressive qualities that make some of you cringe in this band.

The singer deserves some additional accolades, for I have suffered through vocals of the likes Cymoryl and Elvaron, never comprehending as to why I deserved such a punishment. Stephane Fradet's voice is a little rough on the edges (you can notice some similarity in this regard in the voice of Elvaron's Matthieu Morand - probably a French thing), but very commanding and very powerful, staying perfectly melodical throughout the whole album. While still maintaining a slight accent, Stephane still makes it quite enjoyable to listen to. But compared to the above-mentioned bands, he's a fucking Luciano Pavarotti.

Either way, I'd recommend this to all fans of heavy metal, and especially to those who don't mind a lethal doze of melody. Clearly one of my better purchases of the year...