Neverworld

Power Quest's Neverworld is a demanding listen: in an already-tight tracklist of nine songs, all but three of them are at least six minutes long. with ten-minute steamrollers bookending it. Few albums like this are really good enough to merit the time it takes to enter its world. It has taken me many years to finally fully appreciate the album, but something in me kept coming back to it, nagging at me that I was neglecting a real gem.

The album is full of warmth. It's not a dark record, nor a brooding one. The themes are all about fantasy or love, and the vocals are full of eagerness and sincerity. For added cheese -- tasty, delicious cheese -- the synths are like something out of a Super Nintendo game, yet are often played with virtuosity. The melodies simply soar, with a pop sensibility that makes some of the progressive elements easier to handle. Nowhere is this better on display than in the 10-minute closing epic 'Lost Without You', a duet that smartly brings in Edenbridge's Sabine, who harmonizes on the crazy-catchy chorus. After warming up for a few minutes, the song turns into something structured much like a Dragonforce song -- in the best way: the intense, bittersweet atmosphere of the instrumental middle section of the song features some of the most compelling passages of the album.

Besides the closing track, though, just about everything feels warm and sunny -- poppier songs 'Temple of Fire' and 'Sacred Land' are downright fun, and 'Into the Light' is uplifting. Title track 'Neverworld' is a shock-and-awe first track built around a Bach-esque synth run, drawing you into Power Quest's fantasy world. As mentioned before, the majority of these songs are at least six minutes long -- vocals, guitars, and synths are all given their due on every song, and the ambition to create something more than an album full of songs like 'Temple of Fire' (only four minutes) is admirable.

What's lacking here? The Van Halen inspiration on 'Edge of Time' is too obvious to not stick out. 'When I'm Gone' drags, although an alternate version featuring Sabine on vocals exists. The album could use a little more of a dark edge at times; the sunny atmosphere can sometimes -- pleasant as it is -- become monotonous. But these are small complaints in a greater whole. For its soaring melodies, undeniable warmth, and compositional ambition, Neverworld is a shining example of what makes the power metal genre so good.

I realize other people might have their own opinions about what the best power metal album is, and that there are numerous schools and different styles to choose from. But for me, Power Quest's Neverworld is it. At least speaking in terms of this style of light-footed, keyboard-driven European power metal, there isn't really anything I've heard that does it better. It's a luminous slice of metal of the lightest and most "flowery" demeanor, and the songs are all incredible.

These guys started out as an offshoot of Dragonforce, as keyboardist Steve Williams left that band in their early incarnation and started Power Quest instead. But this is a much better album than anything Dragonforce has done - and I'm saying that as a fan of the latter band as well. The style on Neverworld is a fairly familiar concoction of speedy drum runs, trilling, melodic riffing and high-pitched vocals. It's kind of a relic of its time by now - strange, as it's only 12 years old, but it doesn't seem that long ago that this kind of stuff was all over the metal scene.

The songs are simply too good to ignore. They're all pretty long, but the band pulls them off through a potpourri of happy, shimmering keyboards, crisp and polished power metal riffing and the vocals of Alessio Garavello, who has a high, crystal-clear wail with a lot of character and personality. He injects the songs with a real fire, energy and verve that most other bands didn't have. Despite the light and sweet nature of the melodies on this, it never feels like it's too fruity, never with too many melodies crammed in to the point of oversaturation or too many ideas going on at once, which is a problem many bands in this style tend to have - see releases from Angra, Wuthering Heights and others around the same time. By contrast, these guys sound totally focused and clean in their chosen style.

The songwriting is propulsive and consistently entertaining, and the band runs the gamut of stylistic choices from power metal speedsters to ballads to 80s-rock AOR numbers that would become oversaturated in the genre a few years after this came out. But here, they feel fresh and vital, with the band's precise playing and focus on the keyboards making for a fairly unique take on the sound. It's the combination of good musicianship and good songwriting - a simple alchemical blend that makes for highly engaging songs. There's no adornments or gimmicks here - no barriers shadowing the band's emotional honesty and resonating power, so it doesn't matter what type of song they play. For me, anyway, it's all good.

The nine-minute title track builds up and fades out slow, but the stirring epic songwriting is immediate and heart-pounding good. Unforgettable songs like "Temple of Fire" and "For Evermore" bust out inimitable, lively melodies that will never come out of your head, and on "Sacred Land," the drums go so fast you'd think the band would trip over themselves - but instead, they churn out another winner of a song with deft melodies skipping along like a well-thrown rock over the water. Even a somewhat filler-ish tune like "Well of Souls," which doesn't offer a vocal hook or keyboard melody that stands out from the rest of the songs, still has interesting parts to it to make sure you don't reach for the skip button. It's the midpaced, pounding bridge section before the last chorus - the band just lets the music play, with no rush to get to the next chorus before its time is here. "Into the Light" is a late-album stunner with triumphant keys, shining riffs and a high, wailing chorus that will lift your spirits, and ballad "When I'm Gone" manages to be genuinely touching, with simple strings, a heart-rending melody and a subtly building emotional crest from the vocals.

"Edge of Time" is a show-stopping song, with a midpaced riff like something Van Halen or Scorpions would have done in the early 80s - but done up with huge, mesmeric synths and a tremendous vocal hook from Alessio, making it a song that has consistently been one of my favorites of any metal genre for years now. It's the closing epic "Lost Without You" that manages to top everything else though. With a dramatic intro building up to fanfare-like keys and a rocking riff, the vocals and melodies swirl from a slow build into a big, warm chorus and an almost stage-play-like level of theatricality - it's pure joy, plain and simple. This song means a lot to me, and I have cherished it ever since I first heard it years ago. It's a masterful expression of bittersweet loss.

There is a warmth to this album that is unique - a character and style that set them apart from other bands in the genre and even from their "parent" band Dragonforce. The band sounds happy and full of heart here, with a real honesty and genuine feeling to everything they do. If the songs were subpar, that would only be a minor note, but the songs here are all instant classics. It's a shame Power Quest never released anything even close to this good again, but at least they left us with Neverworld before they went - a monument of power metal and a genre-defining album.

With a name like ‘Power Quest,’ this band’s leanings on the metal spectrum seem fairly obvious. For those not familiar with Power Quest, the band started by ex-DragonHeart (now DragonForce) keyboardist Steve Williams, there isn’t too much that needs to be said. If you enjoy DragonForce’s work, then this sophomore effort should suit you quite well. The sound exhibited on this album brings to mind the same melodic frenzy and frenetic riffing/blast beating that could be found on their albums, especially in songs like “Sacred Land” and “Neverworld.” Also, like on DragonForce’s works, vocals and keys create the bulk of the sound here. While the guitars admittedly do shine at times like on the already mentioned “Neverworld,” too many times it just felt like I was listening to Williams’ past associates with the amount of constant hyper-paced guitar work, frantic attempts at gushing melodies, and repetitively soaring, harmonizing vocals.

Unlike DragonForce, however, Power Quest seems to have a better grasp at songwriting, penning songs that at least sound somewhat separate even if using the same corny melodic techniques, rhythm, and ever-present synthesizer (that the former employed) so much throughout the album. That is, there were definitely more songs that I found enjoyable here versus my attempts to crack “Inhuman Rampage.” Yet even at that point it feels like they are just beating DragonForce at their own game, not creating a unique sound. I guess that it what I find most at fault here with this album and, ultimately, this band: it lacks personality and originality. The fact that all I could think of while listening to this album was DragonForce or Van Halen (especially on “Sacred Land,” where the synth’s part sounds like it was lifted from their song “Jump”) shows that there is very little quality or noteworthiness to this work.

Of course, this is easy to say given that I don’t have much of a taste for the DragonForce-esque brand of power metal. As I said, if you’ve enjoyed their work, then this record will probably be enjoyed and maybe even spark a desire to hear the rest of what Power Quest have to offer. This is definitely the album to start with concerning this band, as the gist of how they sound and compose is advertised best here. If you don’t like DragonForce or that crowd, you may want to just stay away.

Already being a fanatic fan of Dragonforce and Sonata Arctica, I was first introduced to the Quest when one of my metal peers introduced me to 'Temple of Fire'. Taken aback and completely blown away by its warm and uplifting beauty, I decided to check out the rest of the album. I can only say that this is the most stunning and poignant power metal album I have ever heard. With 5 awesome records Power Quest are elitists in the genre, but Neverworld is the untouchable jewel in the crown of power metal.

The tone and atmosphere of the album is one unlike anything else you will here. From the epic opener 'Neverworld (Power Quest Part II) the album glimmers with rich, melodic splendour. This is a somewhat different sound to the superb debut 'Wings of Forever'. Everything is top notch, from the pitch-perfect vocals to the enchanting keyboards ('Temple of fire and 'Sacred Land' in particular). A couple of the tracks have a Van Halen-esque feel to them, especially 'Edge of time' which delves more into the boundaries of classic rock than power metal - it works perfectly and will fill your heart with joy and happiness.

No other band could record an album like this. Alessio Garavello has an otherworldly voice that is demonstrated in his ability to hit impossibly high notes. The bands principal songwriter Steve Williams is a melodic genius, and I couldn't help get the impression that this album is inspired by his own emotions and memories. 'Into the Light' is a song about overcoming 'darkness' and is awe-inspiring both lyrically and musically. The absolute highlight of the album.

Each song on this masterpiece has its own unique feel, style and character. There is not one weak song on the album from the brilliant opener to the theatric ballad 'Lost Without You' which includes some haunting female vocals. The quality of Neverworld is indescribable, and the album will never age or lose its appeal. This is the defining record of a band who have mastered the art of creation in many ways.

This album deserves 110% and is an impossibly well-crafted, mesmerising classic. No power metal fan is complete until they have sunk their teeth into this flawless wonder.

May the Quest forever go on.

If you're reading this, and have heard of Power Quest, you've most likely either heard them or seen the video for Glory Tonight, and know what to expect from Power Quest. Well, here, they deliver the goods, and more.

The compositions here mark as their longest and most thought out, adding a slightly progressive touch with songs like Lost Without You, When I'm Gone, and For Evermore. While this is still straight up flower metal, it still adds to the music to introduce the progressive element of mystery; as in, the songs are not as straightforward as they were on Wings of Forever.

Other than that, you know what to expect from Power Quest: Cheese, heavily fantasy themed lyrics, upbeat melodies, guitar leads, upbeat singing, mid-paced to fast drumming, etc... and let me tell you, they do not disappoint here. The drumming is slowed down a bit from Wings of Forever to make way for more varied composition, but it's the same basic style that they've had and most likely will have for a while. You either like it, or hate it.

There is this unwritten rule in so-called mainstream circles that a band's sophomore effort is a sort of "make or break" affair given that it tends to cue the audience into how far their stylistic boundaries will stretch. While metal has generally lived in its own world and cared little for what the radio and other media establishments have to say on the matter, there is some truth to this idea, especially when it involves a breakaway project consisting of members of an already established act. This gets a bit sketchy in the case of Power Quest as they got the drop on their counterpart Dragonforce by about a year in getting their debut album out, though the DragonHeart demo had made such significant waves in the online community that Valley Of The Damned may as well have predated Power Quest as a band, but it is fairly well established that Power Quest began in a very similar vein to Steve Williams' former band. The release of Neverworld sees this commonality all but vanish in a haze of glorious melodies and blazing speed.

The rather drastic change in stylistic direction that has occurred in a little over a year could be chalked up to a number of things, though clearly not for any decrease in enthusiasm or ambition. The shifts in lineup and greater concentration of songwriting duties upon Williams himself is probably the largest contributor, as the exodus of Adam Bickers and the downplayed role of Sam Totman (he's only contributes to one song and is no longer listed as a full band member) sees a move away from the dueling shred solos typical to the first four Dragonforce albums in favor of a more traditional dueling guitar vs. keyboards approach a la Stratovarius between Williams and the newly recruited Andrea Martongelli, who's leads were present on a few select Wings Of Forever songs and pointed towards something a bit more Brian May oriented and melodic, though still frenetic and technical. Coupled with a higher grade production that makes for a denser and stronger keyboard presence and a meatier guitar and rhythm section employing a live drummer, this sounds almost like an entirely different band.

This radical change in direction naturally doesn't end with a few tweaks in the lineup, instrumentation and production job, but involves an overall songwriting paradigm shift that has since come to define Power Quest's sound up to the present day. Chief among these is this underlying hard rock shtick intermingled with the prototypical speed metal influences that brings about a couple of Van Halen-like rockers with a metallic gloss such as "Edge Of Time" and "For Evermore", largely due to the way the keyboards are employed. Naturally this isn't a perfect comparison as the vocal work and the guitar riffing is far closer to Helloween than Van Halen, but there is definitely an occasional helping of 1984 and E5150 alongside the Keepers Of The Seven Keys going on here, coming to a head arguably on the album's middle point ballad with pianos ablaze "When I'm Gone", which is a bit less epic when compared to its predecessor "Immortal Plains".

Be this as it may, this is ultimately a full out epic fest of melody and majesty that hits all the textbook tools of the power metal trade and amplifies them considerably. Things start and end on an auspiciously epic note with two towering colossus tunes in the high octane, 9 minute nod to Freedom Call "Neverworld (Power Quest Pt. 2)" and the even longer epic rocker "Lost Without You" featuring the guest vocal input with an attitude of Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge) and a heap of memorable moments. It's a noticeable shift from the more conventional approach of Wings Of Forever where things begin and end on short instrumental tunes, but it ultimately proves a more effective one given the way that Williams brilliantly progresses one idea into the next. Naturally there is a lot to be said for the fast paced, ultra-catchy magic going on with bangers such as "Temple Of Fire", "Sacred Land" and "Into The Light" that bear at least a passing mention, particularly given how they highlight Alessio Garavello's high flying vocal display. This album is actually the most insane display of high pitched vocal gymnastics to ever come out of Garavello, and arguably 95% of the power metal scene, challenging Michael Kiske at his most intense moments and all but leaving ZP Theart in the dust.

Words like majestic and mandatory manage to fall a bit short of what is going on with this album, and after 12 years of owning it, the author of this review has yet to see it lose any of its luster. Anyone who dismisses this album outright as a Dragonforce knockoff has not paid attention to either band, and to this day it stands as among the most underrated albums to come out of the power metal world since the turn of the millennium. It's technical without degenerating into outright showboating, it's melodic and infectious to the point of putting Freedom Call on notice, and polished and powerful enough to stand against the ongoing trend of high fidelity studio tweaking that has been spearheaded by perfectionist Magnus Karlsson's associated projects (Martongelli's playing is actually fairly similar to the technical yet singing style of said Swede's handiwork). It's more of an escapist's manifesto than a typical metal album, and the world that it points toward is one that any power metal junkie wouldn't want to soon leave.

(Rewritten on September 25th, 2016)