Band:	Valhalla
Album:	The Aftermath
Style:	Heavy metal, Power metal
Release date:	July 2005

01. Inseminator
02. Enemy
03. Lost In Space
04. Heroes
05. Farewell
06. Miracle
07. Memories
08. XXX
09. Time

Oh, what? Valhalla, power metal, short song titles... Are we facing another generic power metal band? Well not exactly. Those guys have been around for several years now and 'The Aftermath' is their 4th album.

But in fact, I didn't know the band before so my first reaction when listening to the opening track was surprising, cause I found it more heavy than power metal, with a dynamic riff and a kind of raw production.
Then goes the instrumental passage of the song and another suprise: These guys are awesome musicians! The guitar solos are very good and it's not just about having a solo in every song but more about having real instrumental passages with many riffs and guitar duets.
Listening to the other songs in the album leads to the same observations, except that 'The Aftermath' sounds more and more power metal after every track.
Only two songs feature some keyboards, of which one (the last track, 'Time') is a kind of heavy ballad, with choirs.

So, what could make this band stand out from the flow of power metal bands we've heard so far?
Maybe the fact that they combine some aspects of what is called "US power metal" with others from the "European power metal" scene. By this I mean that the main riffs, the solos and the production remind me of the US scene while the verses and choruses remind me of the European scene.
The result is pleasant, yet far from being a masterpiece. 'The Aftermath' should satisfy those who are getting bored by nowadays "overproduced" power metal bands.