Band:	Elvenpath
Album:	Spyrol
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	2007
A review by:	wrathchild

01. Burning Skies
02. Priests Of War
03. Northern Son

Proud of their two existing releases and touring experience with bands like Sabaton, Wizard, Majesty, Skyclad and some others, the German power metal band Elvenpath introduces their upcoming album with this 3-song demo entitled Spyrol.

Those who don't like cheesy warrior songs can stop reading, as I could define what I hear when listening to Spyrol as being typical, unoriginal and average power metal. Still, Elvenpath's music may appeal to fans of this branch of power metal plus a bunch of heavy metallers.
Cause it's catchy, yet not captivating. The demo starts with a fast song (Burning Skies) and ends with a long and more intimate one (Northern Son), with Priests Of War serving as a transition between the two styles. Riffs are basic, lyrics are predictable and the whole thing reminds of Hammerfall, Iron Maiden and Manowar from times to times (and from a distance), and I could probably add Tierra Santa and other such bands though I haven't listened to them for ages, so those comparisons may not be completely accurate, they're just feelings and may just stress that the members of Elvenpath are more into 80 and 90 metal - which I think is not a bad thing per se even though it clearly means they're not innovators.

On the other hand I'm certain that Elvenpath are great openers for other heavy/power bands because even if you don't know them, you can easily follow what's going on and sing if you feel like doing it. The songs feature fast and slow moments, some interesting melodies but I wish their could be a few finds to increase my interest in this demo. Not even the production is surprising - it's good, although the singer's voice sounds slightly amateurish sometimes - and just contributes to making Spyrol sounds like an unoriginal release. I can only hope the coming album (that should feature those 3 songs) has some unrevealed assets to prove the band can be more than just an opener one day, cause this is clearly not the case with this demo CD.