Genre: Melodic/Power Metal
Label: Liljegren
Date of Release: January 18, 2013
MELODIC CRUSADER METAL
Swedish
quintet Golden Resurrection is certainly a perfect representation of old-school
power metal laden with epic, melodic tones. The group took on this musical form
since forming in 2008, from multiple different cities within the nation: Alingsås, Eskilstuna, Jönköping, Kungsör, and Örebro. Some
members also worked with other bands, such as ReinXeed, Narnia, and Majestic
Vanguard, but they all coalesced to form a seasoned group that performs
Christian-based power metal, the old-school style. They made their debut in
2010 with their first full-length record “Glory to My King,” followed by their
next full-length in 2011 entitled “Man with a Mission.” Add the 2011 single “Pray
for Japan,” and you have a collaboration of epic and melodic power metal that
certainly lives up to the band’s title, in terms of both sound and religious
meaning. In 2013, the group made a new addition to their roster of records with
their third full-length release “One Voice for the Kingdom.” With ten tracks on
their side, the group seeks out once again to storm the gates with their
melodic power battalion.
Although it doesn’t necessarily shatter any molds in terms of
the power metal genre, the musicianship overall is very good. The singing is
bold and very dramatic, in a typical yet well-done fashion in regards to the
said genre. The drum work is nothing truly special either, but they are tightly
played in terms of rhythm and sound quality, so that is another positive
element that lies within this record. However, one of the group’s largest areas
of prowess is the guitar play, which is done excellently in this album. They
are packed fully with some energizing riffs and melodies that definitely
provide the framework of the fantasy-like atmosphere of the tracks in this
record overall. They never go overboard in how they are played to the point
where the guitarists are merely showing off, but it shines perfectly in terms
of its solidity and melodic splendor. The sound production of this album is
also well done; it lets each musical element sound as an entity on its own
without losing focus or sounding over-processed. With all things considered, “One
Voice for the Kingdom,” in spite of sticking to its power metal boundaries, the
musicianship and production are certainly two of the album’s stronger points.
As before, “One Voice for the Kingdom” delivers epic,
melodic, and uplifting power metal tunes that are definitely meant to appeal to
both old-school and modern fans of the genre. One of the greatest highlights of
this record, as stated earlier, is the guitar play, laden with potent melodies
and riffs to really give the music an epic sort of atmosphere. On top of this
cinematic tone, the album overall has a good share of gripping and spine-chilling
moments throughout, with all of the elements of the musicianship and
instrumentals fusing together tightly to give the album a great sense of focus
and concentration. This helps in the epic sound delivering its effect towards
its audience, and at times, it really can pull the audience into the midst of a
fantasy battlefield. It also has some mellower but still very melodic tracks, such
as “Moore Lord.” However, the music overall is quite generic for the power
metal genre, and the group doesn’t necessarily throw any real surprises at its
audience. There are also plenty of times when the tracks overall can slip over
the boundaries and become a little cheesy in terms of the epic tone. Thankfully,
that isn’t too often the case. With enjoyable tracks that are crafted with
glorious atmospheres and positivity, there is at least one song to be
invigorated by in this solid power metal specimen.
Sadly, aside from the cheesiness and generic factors, another
crippling problem that “One Voice for the Kingdom” suffers from is the lyrical
content. Hence the band’s name, the theme that the lyrics focus on is
Christianity. The lyrics are written along this theme to create very optimistic
messages in terms of the religion, and conceptually, although it is a generic
form of this type of lyrical content, there is nothing particularly wrong with
this. However, the problem is that the lyrics are far too preachy, to the point
where anyone outside of the faith will certainly feel unsettled as the music is
singing them out loud, thus narrowing the group’s following. While there is
nothing wrong with having a positive message behind lyrics within a faithful
scope, special care is needed to make sure the lyrics deliver their meaning
powerfully without overdoing it. Unfortunately, this album doesn’t do a very
good job at this, and it winds up making the music itself hard to take pleasure
in listening to for the said crowd. Overall, although the lyrics aren’t a
complete train wreck, they do not seem to fare very well.
All
in all, “One Voice for the Kingdom” is a solid power metal release. The
musicianship, for starters, is well done, especially with the guitar work
probably being the largest highlight in this regard and the album overall. The
power metal tunes that the record conjures up, while being a little overdone in
terms of epic tones here and there, along with being undeniably generic, are
solidly packed and are nothing short of decent. Unfortunately, the weakest
point of the album as a whole is the lyrics, which are so over-the-top in their
religious messages that it becomes tedious and excessively preachy, negatively
affecting the music itself. Despite this cumbersome flaw, however, the album
overall is nonetheless enjoyable. Considering the band’s previous releases, old
fans of the group will definitely take a liking to this follow-up record.
Diehard power metal fans, old-school and modern alike, will also find at least
something to enjoy in this pleasurable album, although people skeptical of the
power metal genre most likely will not find much to admire here. Even so, “One
Voice for the Kingdom” has truly managed to represent the return of a
well-famed group rather strongly.
Score: 7/10 (Solid)