Band:	Galneryus
Album:	Advance To The Fall
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	March 2005
Guest review by:	Ch'ti

01. Stillness Dawn
02. Silent Revelation
03. Ancient Rage
04. Fate Of The Sadness
05. Deep Affection
06. Dream Place
07. Glorious Aggressor
08. Whisper In The Red Sky
09. The Scenery
10. Eternal Regret
11. Quiet Wish
12. Fly With Red Wings
13. Under Threat

Who would have thought that the mix between a Japanese style and power metal would produce such an incredible result?

Even if I am not a professional in the world of Japanese music, I have heard some examples within metal such as Babymetal's "kawaii metal" (a somewhat dubious name, if you ask me) and the excellent Sigh. Let's add also the music I've heard in the world of Japanese animation, because, with that sector exploding in recent years, curiosity carried me away, leading me to listen to some music from this universe. Still, I have only achieved to identify a part of Japanese music. I was therefore curious to discover a new album from this country.

Thinking about it, it's true that power metal is the genre best suited to marrying this particular style. However, I was afraid that the result would be too grandiloquent, even cliché. It is easy to imagine what a style that is a little too clumsily put forward might look like (something that I noticed a lot in Babymetal).

But all my doubts were quickly dispelled in the first tracks, where I managed to recognize this Japanese paste which integrated perfectly into power metal, and I must admit to being impressed by the result. I had a few cold sweats at the very beginning with the piano that introduced "Silent Revelation", but, with the guitar solos that followed, I no longer doubted Galneryus. The guitarists are on fire, with solos that are very demonstrative of all their talent, but are also very aesthetic. I find that the piano is not the best contribution to the album, unlike the synth, which has its moments of glory with a few of its own solos there, too.

The album doesn't let us breathe, with numerous sequences of solos and guitarists who play like pianists. Some tracks must be mentioned. In the end of "Fate Of Sadness", which is particularly effective, Galneryus manage to conclude their tracks in a classy way. "Whisper In The Red Sky" probably has the best solo on the album and is one of if not the most powerful track on the album. Finally, "The Scenery", which stands out a bit from the rest of the album due to its surprising start, is one of my personal favorite tracks. The only real flaw of the album is the ending, which runs out of steam a little. It's probably because the album started so powerfully.

In any case, I'm very happy with this discovery; Galneryus probably produced one of my favorite power metal albums. It perfectly integrates the Japanese style as well as these impressive solos. It's frankly one of the best discoveries of the last month, for my part, and I am very happy to have tried it. It is possible that I will listen to other albums of the band. For fans of power metal, I can only recommend Advance To The Fall, it is well worth the detour.