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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + The Storyteller - Crossroad (Jap. Ed.) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Aug-26-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2001 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.storyteller.nu ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : The Storyteller Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Crossroad (Jap. Ed.) Label : Soundholic ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ This is The StorytellerÆs 2nd and final ║ │
│║ installment of their two part concept album ║ │
│║ series depicting the fantasy realm of Kail, ║ │
│║ which borrows heavily from the J.R.R. Tolkein ║ │
│║ style of High Fantasy tales. While the storyline ║ │
│║ depicted here does reek of some obvious clichΘs, ║ │
│║ the music has take a rather sizable leap ║ │
│║ forward, owing heavily to a more clearly defined ║ │
│║ sound, a more measured level of ballad and quiet ║ │
│║ musical sections, and a more lustrous vocal ║ │
│║ delivery. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The one thing that really held the last album ║ │
│║ back was PerssonÆs vocals, although they fit ║ │
│║ well with the standard fair of power metal ║ │
│║ ranges found in bands such as Firewind and Jag ║ │
│║ Panzer, his high range was really not explored ║ │
│║ much. Here we see a much more high ended vocal ║ │
│║ performance, flirting with sounding like a ║ │
│║ hybrid of Joacim Cans and Eric Adams. Although ║ │
│║ he does a fair share of banshee wails on all the ║ │
│║ faster songs, he really gets going on the 2nd ║ │
│║ half of the album, which is where most of the ║ │
│║ stronger music is to found. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Although a good improvement on the debut, we ║ │
│║ still have a lot of music that clings to the ║ │
│║ Hammerfall/Blind Guardian format of the last ║ │
│║ album. ôThe Unknownö is a decent up tempo song ║ │
│║ but with the exception of a better production ║ │
│║ and a more bombastic backing chorus; itÆs almost ║ │
│║ completely interchangeable with ôGuardians of ║ │
│║ Kailö. ôThe Eyes of the Stormö also reeks of ║ │
│║ heavily of early Hammerfall worship, ║ │
│║ particularly faster songs off Renegade such as ║ │
│║ ôThe Championö. Our first ballad ôLoss of a ║ │
│║ Friendö also sounds a bit like more recent ║ │
│║ Hammerfall ballads, though without the sappy ║ │
│║ love song lyrics. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Some of the better music on here includes the ║ │
│║ melodic mid-tempo song ôA Passage through the ║ │
│║ Mountainsö which sounds a bit like Falconer but ║ │
│║ with a thicker vocal texture and more lead ║ │
│║ breaks. The title track has an excellent opening ║ │
│║ riff and sounds somewhat like various songs off ║ │
│║ of Gamma RayÆs ôSomewhere Out in Spaceö, though ║ │
│║ obviously not quite as fast. ôKingdom Aboveö is ║ │
│║ our second ballad and sees all the improvements ║ │
│║ that I have hoped to see on previous album ║ │
│║ ballad ôLike a Windö, a chorus with a rich ║ │
│║ harmonic texture, yet still with the same epic ║ │
│║ feel found on classic Blind Guardian ballads ║ │
│║ like ôA Past and Future Secretö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The best song on here, by far, is the closing ║ │
│║ track ôThe Moment of Truthö. YouÆve got all the ║ │
│║ winning elements of a highly climactic Freedom ║ │
│║ Call song, combined with the folk melodic ║ │
│║ tendencies of Blind Guardian and Falconer. The ║ │
│║ rough vocal growls provided by Bryan Horne of ║ │
│║ ôThe Fifth Sunö are also a nice bit of icing on ║ │
│║ a rather delicious heavy metal cake of speed and ║ │
│║ fury. They say that the final impression is ║ │
│║ often what can make or break an album, and in ║ │
│║ this particular case The Storyteller definitely ║ │
│║ nailed it. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ This album is definitely geared towards fans of ║ │
│║ Hammerfall, as well as anyone else who was in to ║ │
│║ the fantasy concept album craze from 1999 to ║ │
│║ 2002 that was essentially started by Blind ║ │
│║ GuardianÆs ôNightfall on Middle Earthö. Although ║ │
│║ this is second tier material compared to early ║ │
│║ works by both these bands, it is still a lot of ║ │
│║ fun and miles above most of the garbage played ║ │
│║ on the radio today that people far and wide are ║ │
│║ all to willing to settle for. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - And The Legend Continues [01:38] │
│ 02 - The Unknown [05:37] │
│ 03 - The Secret┤s Revealed [03:54] │
│ 04 - The Eye Of The Storm [04:39] │
│ 05 - A Passage Through The Mountain [04:17] │
│ 06 - Ambush [05:37] │
│ 07 - Loss Of A Friend [05:03] │
│ 08 - Crossroad [05:36] │
│ 09 - Kingdom Above [04:39] │
│ 10 - The Moment Of Truth [08:02] │
│ 11 - Moonchild (Bonus Track) [05:43] │
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│ Total Length : [54:45 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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