Band:	Freedom Call
Album:	Eternity
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	2002
Guest review by:	R Lewis

01. Metal Invasion
02. Flying High
03. Ages Of Power
04. The Spell
05. Bleeding Heart
06. Warriors
07. The Eyes Of The World
08. Flame In The Night
09. Land Of Light
10. Island Of Dreams
11. Turn Back Time

It's 2002, and the cheesiest band ever in power metal, Freedom Call, reaches a peak of quality that these guys will not equal, at least until now. Eternity comes after the nice Crystal Empire, but it's just another level. The German band has not changed its style, the guys have simply improved their fundamentals that make Freedom Call one of the flagships of happy and easy-listening power metal from Germany.

The album is great in its totality and, even not exaggerating in originality, provides eleven songs that don't get boring after a couple of listenings. In fact, from the super-epic "Metal Invasion" to the sad and melancholic ballad "Turn Back Time", the guys offer a nice range of tracks, even maintaining the same song structure of classic power metal: strophe, bridge, strophe, bridge, chorus, etc...

Music-wise, this album displays a pretty good technique from every member of the band, even if the guitar work seems often overwhelmed by the huge use of organs and such. Solos, even if quite short, show a nice mastery of the instrument and do always fit the track; and, if you're familiar with power metal, the drums will not be a surprise: on 90% of this release the background is dominated by a classic, thundering, double bass drum. Chris Bay does not already show the vocal maturity that can be enjoyed in 2010's Legend of the Shadowking but, anyhow, is a great singer. He will not enter in the vocalists' Hall of Fame but still provides an important touch of magic in Freedom Call's sound.

The real limit of this band can be found in the lyrics: the guys have not been able do detach, as bands like Sonata Arctica or Vision Divine have done, from the classic stereotype of warriors, dragons, and medieval times that makes music surely evocative, but quite childish, in the long run.

Anyhow, this remains a really great album, a must-have for every power metal fan and a nice try to someone new of the genre, especially for its accessibility. Surely the best Freedom Call release to date.

Highlights: "Metal Invasion", "Flying High", "Warriors", "Land of Light", "Turn Back Time"