For Those Who Walk the Path Forlorn

Saidian is a severely overlooked German power metal quintet that released one of last decade's best power metal albums with its debut record ...For Those Who Walk the Path Forlorn. The band has a strong symphonic and at times progressive side that separates it from its numerous genre colleagues. The keyboard work is particularly outstanding on this record but the melodic, gripping and emotional vocals are also highly entertaining.

The record's greatest song might be the enthusiastic, epic and fast ''Silent Killer'' that comes around with unchained vocals, wild keyboard sounds and an unforgettable chorus that could come straight from genre heavyweights like Helloween, Gamma Ray and Edguy. ''Heart of Stone'' impresses with progressive keyboard sounds in the key of Royal Hunt that make for a quite atmospheric aural voyage. ''Chains of Time'' incorporates a duel between melodic guitar solos and playful keyboard solos while showcasing the band's versatile songwriting from calm and mysterious passages to majestic symphonic power metal sections that aren't a far call from Edenbridge.

Even one and a half decade later, Saidian's impressive debut record ...For Those Who Walk the Path Forlorn has stood the test of time as timeless European power metal record with inspired symphonic elements and skilled progressive sections. I have discovered metal music thanks to European power metal and while I don't listen to many bands of said genre anymore one and a half decades later, Saidian is a band that still moves me as much as it did back then. The record with the sexy and mysterious eye-catching cover artwork doesn't include any fillers and it's a shame that this album has been overlooked and that the band has never been given the chance to get a proper breakthrough. Even though the band has ultimately split up, this record is worth your time, money and attention if you like inspired European power metal.

Man, it's good to hear some good 'ole neo-classical shredding now and again isn't it? But with Malmsteen fingering more doughnuts than fretboards these days, decent twiddling is hard to find, especially when it's not at the apex of the music itself. Now, enter Saidian, yet another German cadre of pirate-shirted troubadours taking it upon themselves to show the world how it's done, armed to the teeth with axes, synths, and harpsichords. And with a stickman proficient in all things double-kick related, a groovy bassist and a leather lunged frontman, what exactly is going to stop them? Exposure? Or lack of? Most likely, which is a shame because For Those Who Walk the Path Forlorn, their sparkling debut from 2005, is a tasty slice of cheesecake that, given the chance, even Yngwie himself would chop at the bit to try a piece.

Kicking things off in style with the fierce "Burn Down the Night", Saidian's cards are laid down pretty early in terms of what is to follow; their keyboard-led mélange of Edguy and Royal Hunt standing out a mile from fellow contemporaries due to their sharp focus on energy, bombast, and soaring AOR melodies that really give the songs longevity. One listen to the stomping "Cry in the Rain" and you'll be smacking your head against a wall within the hour just trying to remove it from your brain. Similar things can be said for the mid-paced "Heart of Stone" or the At Vance-esque "Lonely Nights", which has a chorus so sublime it almost brings a tear to the eye. Predominately, the band are led by accomplished keyboardist and chief songwriter Markus Bohr, but vocalist Engel Engelfried steals the show with his sweet, scorching range, a true star in the making with a talent that's sure to make Tobias Sammet keep one eye behind him in the rearview mirror. The only major gripe concerning For Those Who Walk... is the band's tendency to be a tad repetitive and, naturally, rather formulaic. At first listen the chanting "Chains of Time" gets the fist in the air, but after an exhausting keys workout and an interminable chorus, your finger will be poised on the skip button. Going out with a bang, and possibly the album's strongest track, "Raging Fire" wraps up the Saidian clause in a neat little Power Metal bow, showcasing the pinnacle of each member's talents in what is ultimately a sizzling hot display of professionalism.

For transient fans of the genre, this might be a little too left field in favour of those who'd rather stick to the big names or heavier contenders, but Saidian have set the bar pretty high here, something most bands find more challenging than actually competing in the first place.

Originally written for www.metalcrypt.com