Band:	Mystic Prophecy
Album:	Regressus
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	June 2003

01. Calling From Hell
02. Eternal Flame
03. Lords Of Pain
04. Sign Of The Cross
05. Night Of The Storm
06. The Traveller [instrumental]
07. In Your Sins
08. Forgotten Soul
09. When Demons Return
10. Regressus / Lost In Time
11. Mystic Prophecy
12. The Land Of The Dead
13. Sanctuary Drum Track [unlisted track] [Digipak bonus]
14. Fighting The World [Manowar cover] [Digipak bonus]
15. Sanctuary [Iron Maiden cover] [Digipak bonus]

Take a first glance at Mystic Prophecy and you will notice that they are from Germany. A second glance will reveal that they play power metal. Add these two observations together and you could be forgiven for concluding that they must sound like any number of bland Blind Guardian or Helloween impersonators. Fortunately, you would be mistaken. The point is that Regressus is one of those albums that is something of a pleasant surprise. It has all the hallmarks of being a pretty run-of-the-mill metal album: suitably silly swords and sorcery band name? Check. Clichéd fantasy artwork? Check. Iron Maiden and Manowar covers as bonus tracks? Check. Nothing out of the ordinary for European power metal so far?

However, from the moment that the thundering drum-led intro to opener "Calling From Hell" roars from the speakers, you know this isn't Freedom Call. The next 50 minutes or so has much more in common with American heavy power stalwarts Jag Panzer and Iced Earth than with any - as some like to phrase it - "European Flower Metal" act. Galloping riffs that Jon Schaffer would be proud of drive the album along at a nice tempo, while Gus G. - now a famous guy in his own right - shreds out some really effective, melodic leads. Roberto Liapakis' vocals are a good blend of aggressive and clean - and are interesting enough that he doesn't have to resort to death metal grunting or operatic falsetto just for effect.

Of course, Mystic Prophecy's Iced Earth style leanings - there are moments a listener could think he was in fact listening to Something Wicked This Way Comes - mean they won't be winning any awards for groundbreaking originality. However, the songs are tightly written and contain enough variation and points of interest to make repeated spins enjoyable. Highlights include the Sons Of Northern Darkness-era Immortal flavoured "Night Of The Storm", the aforementioned "Calling From Hell" - driven by some solid drumming - and the two-sectioned title track.

Regressus is a solid album which has just about enough aggression to be of at least passing interest fans of more extreme genres, as well as a healthy dose of melody (50 second interlude "The Traveller" is a good example) to keep power metal fans happy. And it is certainly a good listen for anyone - like me - who gets all teary-eyed and nostalgic for the days when Mr. Schaffer & friends actually played music with some semblance of speed!