The World Soul

There is something truly captivating about the Japanese take on power metal, a sort of clinging mystique that manages to stand apart from the European scene that it has otherwise been heavily influenced by. It isn't so much that they necessarily play it fancier, faster, or with a more effective sense of melody per say, but rather a sort of inherent loftiness that tends to incorporate the western neo-classicism and symphonic bluster of Rhapsody Of Fire, the generally happy and uplifting sentiment of Freedom Call, and the blinding speed of early Helloween in a wholly unique manner. Often times this wildly flamboyant combination of influences is accompanied by a comparatively peacock-like get up for the stage performance of the musicians involved, i.e. Versailles, Jupiter and other corresponding bands associated with the visual kei scene. However, a younger act from the same nation dubbed Illusion Force offers up an equally over-the-top presentation of power-infused musical triumph minus a lot of the campy elements and a slightly more traditionally geared take on the style.

To be clear, this band's 2019 debut The World Soul is nothing else if not an intense foray into the high-flying world of melodic power with a heavy dose of speed, virtuoso intrigue and tuneful fanfare. But there is a bit more of a working class demeanor to this album despite the pomp and circumstance, most of it due to the vocal display of Jin Jeon, himself being a South Korean interestingly enough. His approach can be best described as a forceful and gritty take on the Helloween-oriented side of the coin, resembling the youthful incarnation of former Metalium front man Henning Basse, or perhaps even a slightly less gravely answer to Russell Allen. This somewhat different take on what is normally considered the more syrupy side of the metal spectrum melds perfectly with the epic splendor and dense atmosphere that goes into the music behind the voice, and Jin proves himself to be about as adaptive as any power metal vocalist in modifying his voice from a mighty roar on the faster material to something that's remarkably close to a Roy Khan inspired croon on this album's majestic acoustic ballad "Time Will Tell", which is actually one of the album's high points.

One of the interesting peripheral elements that serves to further give this album its sense of distinctiveness is the occasional employment of Japanese folk instruments at a few key points in the album, which injects a bit of a Hamka-like progressiveness to what is otherwise a consistent excursion into power metal excess. It's more of an occasional mood setter or introductory device rather than a lingering element to the band's music though, as the lion's share of its duration is spent soaring in the proverbial stratosphere on a mighty gust of wind. Grandiose speeders such as "Machination Utopia", "The Coming Tragedy" and "I'll Be Your Hero" are basically the order of the day, with the former two sporting a fair amount of symphonic elements along similar lines to a more modernized answer to Legendary Tales, while the latter features a few ballad elements alongside the frenzied inferno of machine-gun drumming, shred-happy guitars and glass-shattering vocals. There are occasions where the pacing becomes maybe a tad more moderated, such as the up tempo rocker of a title anthem, which has a bit more of a moderately fast Stratovarius feel to it, but spares no expense in loading up the arrangement with gender-defying high notes and flowing streams of lead guitar goodness.

About the only thing that can be said against this album, apart from it being so unapologetically power metal that it will likely have little crossover appeal, is that it's a fairly long endeavor compared to most of what is normally offered up in this style. It's far from a flaw for anyone who eats up melodic power like candy, and it definitely strikes a similarly majestic chord to what most of the highly respected players in the Japanese scene have been dishing out for the past decade, but at just over an hour long it has more of a feel of a high conceptual album in the power/prog style, which would lend it more to the Angra crowd were it a bit more focused on progressive metal than a few ancillary elements. Having said that, this album's greatest charm is its unapologetically epic demeanor, tapping into that same sense of grandeur that was all too common during the height of the millennial power metal revival, and providing yet another testament that the style is far from leaving the scene as the next decade draws near. It'll be interesting to see where this band goes next, as they've showcased a mastery of all the tools of the trade needed for a long and prolific career.