Elvenking

Although most things related to scythes and Grim Reapers in metal are usually pasted on Children of Bodom covers, Italy’s Elvenking and their fourth full-length release also capture a little taste of the catchiness that the Finns have employed for their careers thus far. Elvenking are power metal first and foremost: soaring vocals, fantastic lyrical subject matter and even hints of a string section are all dead giveaways. Where they make a stride forward is in the overall heaviness and quicker pace of their songs. Fans of genre kings Blind Guardian will certainly dig a lot of the material here. There are also instances of more progressive-sounding guitar work that will remind the keenest eared listeners of Evergrey. This is a damn decent power metal record but like so many other bands in this vein, anyone who isn’t into the whole Dungeons And Dragons thing is probably going to find Elvenking pretty goofy. But, hey, all those swords and mythical beasts are pretty much genre standards, so if you’re into that sort of thing, then by all means take a listen to The Scythe.