Around since 2000, Germany’s power metal act Stormhammer started their career off in a positive light. Originally on Century Media when they began their journey, and also being honored as Metal Heart Magazine’s “newcomer” by their readers with their very first album, Stormhammer have been in the circuit for quite some time. Only the two original founding members, Manni Ewender and Horst Teßman, have remained with the band. With Echoes of a Lost Paradise, this is the fifth album to surface from the band.

As I came to expect from a power metal band, the album begins with a short symphonic introduction to set the mood accordingly. The following track, Glory Hall of Valhalla, is a Viking themed title that easily caught my interest before playing the album. With this start to the album, the mood is a bit more heavy than power than I was expecting. Vocals feel along the lines of Blind Guardian, with a raspier tone to things, but of course I am not going as far as saying it is a clone of their metal brother. Stormhammer is a more heavy experience, focusing on catchy hooks. The song Leaving, ended up being one of the best tracks found on the album, with its great lead guitar work at its very beginning, that continues along with great heavy riffs that I found myself banging my head to during some car trips.

The album can dive into a folk sound a bit, mainly with how Holy War warms up the track with its introduction. Stormhammer may be a bit easier going when it comes to the power metal portion, but they also incorporate a good amount of symphonic elements in some of their tracks that work nicely, without going over the top. Into the Darkest Void brings out a more somber tone from the band, beginning with beautiful yet sad acoustics, accompanied by a piano that creates a powerful experience overall.

Echoes of a Lost Paradise may be my first introduction to Stormhammer, but I found it to be a positive one. Though they may not be breaking any new ground with their latest record when it comes to heavy or power metal, they still have solid, hard rocking songs that are a joy to sit back and take in.