German power metal veterans Freedom Call throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the genre early in 2012 with the spellbinding new album that is Land Of The Crimson Dawn. Frontman Chris Bay accurately states in the press release that some of their new material marks a shift in style insofar as "the new tracks simply have more of that rock n roll feel". Certainly tracks like "Rockstars" and "Rockin' Radio" are more head banging crunchers as opposed to galloping sword and sorcery anthems but there is still enough of the latter spread across the CD's fourteen tracks to have their devoted following wielding their broadswords and proclaiming this as the power metal release of the year before January is at an end.
The mystical fantasy world that Freedom Call inhabits is at the forefront of guts and glory epics "Age of the Phoenix", "Crimson Dawn" and "66 Warriors", all of which capture the spirit of the battlefield. Land Of The Crimson Dawn marks the arrival to the band of new drummer Klaus Sperling who has replaced founder member Dan Zimmerman, the later being unable to commit to touring with his ongoing involvement in Gamma Ray, and Sperling proves to be a more than capable replacement with some powerful drumming throughout. There are plenty of uplifting and vibrant moments such as the blistering "Valley of Kingdom" with its effective riffing and Bray's soaring vocals in the ascendancy. But Freedom Call are not afraid to diversify with the stuttering, contemporary rocker that is "Sun in the Dark" being some way removed from the usual power metal blueprint but still delivered in such a way that it does not sound out of place. "Terra Liberty" is one part brooding rocker (riff and verse) and one part bombastic, galloping anthem (chorus) which makes for an effective combination. There is a Celtic vibe to the closing "Power & Glory" with the self-referencing lyrics and invitation to "a Heavy Metal party" ensuring this will be a huge live favourite when the band embarks on the next tour.
A majestic album from start to finish, all hail Freedom Call!
01. Age Of The Phoenix (3:37)
02. Rockstars (5:08)
03. Crimson Dawn (6:29)
04. 66 Warriors (5:20)
05. Back Into The Land Of Light (5:39)
06. Sun In The Dark (4:49)
07. Hero On Video (3:50)
08. Valley Of Kingdom (4:32)
09. Killer Gear (4:42)
10. Rockin' Radio (4:13)
11. Terra Liberty (4:09)
12. Eternity (4:23)
13. Space Legends (4:04)
14. Power & Glory (3:30)
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Freedom Call – Land Of The Crimson Dawn (2012)
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