Burning Point – Empyre

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For the first couple of tracks Pete Ahonen’s voice is rather unconvincing on Burning Point’s fourth album (and indeed the lyrics massively let down Manic Merry-Go-Round which is musically excellent), but this soon clears up with the excellent Face The Truth, stirring power ballad Was It Me and big anthem Only The Wrong With Survive. Most of the rest of the songs are also strong (Fool’s Parade, Walls of Stone) but one or two are too generic (Sacrifice, Blinded By Darkness) and stop Empyre from being the complete record. It is an above-average power/traditional metal record though, with a very thick, heavy guitar tone and very few symphonic touches (actually, keyboard player Pasi Hiltula is very under-used). In terms of the power metal spectrum it lies somewhere between Iron Fire and Metalium, with enough strong songs and excellent musicianship, it can hold its own in a genre that is becoming a little over-crowded with similar bands for its own good.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Burning Point