Metal Reviews

I've recently been listening to more aggressive music, but it's always nice to return to some Freedom Call once in awhile. I havent heard the newest one, but the albums i've heard have few things to complain about. Superb power metal, very catchy and alive. Everything comes together to form something, though not super original, very solid and enjoyable. What more could you ask of music?

If you don't like them are you among those who don't like their happy/disneyland formula, or do you just think there are better power metal?

Are they among the top acts in power metal? If not explain why. Discuss.

I like them, although I prefer the first three albums. No surprise, I think many do. Solidly played happy metal with gloriously catchy choruses. What more could you possibly want? Of course you could argue all you want about Chris Bay's voice being weak and whatnot, but I think it's ok for this type of music. Also, Dan Zimmerman is one helluva drummer, so props to him too.

They are pretty inconsistent, and their last two albums are nothing special, but when they nail it they are matched by few PM bands. They totally got their shit together on Eternity, one of the best melodic PM albums ever in my opinion.

You can call them flower power metal lol but I too like them reminds me of classic Helloween

Crystal Empire is on my cd shelf, and I really like that album. Great power (happy) metal with good song writing. This weekend I will receive Eternity and I'm looking forward to hear it.

Couldn't agree more. However I still feel their latest two are growers and are excellent releases. Great band.

They're a good band to listen to if you want to feel really really ghey.

I mean that in the best way possible.

Yes Circle of Life is definately a grower and a great album, I will get Dimensions soon.

I like Freedom Call, but enjoy them from Eternity onwards. I like their slight changes to their sound, making it somewhat less "disney" happy metal....but some songs are so high up in the happy vein, its not the type of stuff you want blasting from your car stereo with the windows down, if you know what i mean.

HAHA! I know exactly what you mean.

I wouldn't have a problem with that, but then again im a bit weird and don't really have many friends.

It just doesnt really fit...especially when you're driving a "tough" looking car...for example, the black beast from "Supernatural", and you have a really really happy Freedom Call song blasting away

I greatly welcome "disney" happy metal, and play it loud wherever.

.... though you will never see me dancing.

Clint

You should place them in the garbage. They are a shit metal band that truly is, in every sense of the phrase, "standing on the shoulders of giants". Talk about being totally unoriginal, generic, and shamelessly exploitive ofI a sound that is already oversaturated with countless clone bands. There is no need for this band to exist. Countless other bands sound exactly like them, and I mean exactly, and do it much better. Why then do we need another band that does the exact same thing as Gamma Ray, except gayer, so gay that I laugh my ass off every time I hear the song "Living in a Fairy Land", or something like that. I bought the first when it came out, and to my eternal shame actually liked it, but man oh man how the times have changed. They sound like a bunch of sissy girls, at all times.

Not that I inherently have something against what you'd qualify as "sissy metal", but anyways I totally agree with you on this one. Especially on the song "Fairyland", I mean gimme a fucking break This band is and has always been teh suck.

Nah

They may seem generic to the causual listener but when you start to reflect further on their music it's clear that they have some unusually well-crafted metal anthems. And about their originality or lack there of, well i'd say they never set out to create anything revolutionary in the first place. They have a basic formula they stick with, and so do a lot of bands these days. I don't see why they're worse than Edguy, Kamelot, Hammerfall, Firewind or any other band. Yes their sound is very influenced but it's good for what it is, they do it with passion and intelligence.

Now if you don't like the lyrical themes that is fine by me, and i guess i could see why it would be distracting if you really feel it's so brainless and stupid. Personally i have to be in mood for this stuff, i couldn't listen to it all day, gods no. But that said i don't mind it, i think it's good for some escapism. And aint that what music usually is about for people, escaping from reality for awhile.

Np: Symphony X - Paradise Lost

1. No one said they were.
2. How DARE you put fucking KAMELOT among those bands? Their latest album didn't cover much new ground and indeed followed their basic formula, but I seriously can't think of a more groundbreaking and generally non-generic power metal band. One of my few last remaining hopes for this entire sub-genre really. Edguy, HammerFall, Firewind and Freedom Call are all great examples of what's wrong with it.

Well if that is your view, then it's pointless to further discuss anything.

Freedom rule, does that make me gay? Probably, but Freedom Call own.

I'd take Freedom Call, Firewind, Edguy and Hammerfall over Kamelot any day of the week.

I'm yet to find anything remotely groundbreaking that Kamelot have done, that hasn't already been covered somewhere else. But who cares if a band isnt doing anything groundbreaking musically...if you like what you hear, then thats all that matters. I'm just not a fan of Kamelot's structure. Slow verses, where Khan is almost just talking the lyrics, then a mid-paced chorus. Granted its not always like that, but a great deal of their songs are. It bores me.