Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Hard music has long enjoyed taking epic tales and interpreting them through music but seldom has an album been released which has made such an impact as this. With a bit of Queensryche and a touch of Judas Priest this Florida-based band opens us to the saga of Derek Blackheart, a guitar virtuoso who sells his soul to the dark master. After years of scaling the heights of success, Derek has had enough and wants out, taking his life in his Beverly Hills mansion. But even in death he finds there is no escaping his fate. In the hands of a lesser band this dark tale could be distinctly OTT but Absolon's impressive grasp of old school European heavy metal linked to the symphonic and goth flavours of today make this one of the most powerful modern metal albums to be released for years. The band have in Ken Pike one of the most effecting vocalists in rock (many will remember Pike's contributions to '80s heroes Malachia) while in Ed Dumas the band have secured a top rate axe-shredder. The press release for this album promises "a roller coaster ride of thrills and emotion" and unlike many new metal releases, it delivers.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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