"Review I should have made years ago but I'm a lazy fuck" part two, at least once a series I start has more than one post :)
This time we have a band, or more of a supergroup those times- Pathfinder. A very bad name for a band, considering there are popular cars and movies called like tha-oh what am I complaining about, first review was Titanium, which is even more fucked when it comes to google search. That's why my band is called Satan's Chopped Tomatoes in Polish and one day we will be big, mark my words. Ekhem. So, the band plays Power Metal, and it's quite hard to start a power metal band, there are so many generic bands that all sound like Rhapsody or something else, comparision is extremely hard to miss. Titanium was lucky enough because they sing about Ninja Turtles and shit, but here? What makes Pathfinder unique? Let's find out.
The album starts slow with Deep Into The Darkness Peering. Yes, Peering, not peeing, it's a tricky word, I know. Intro is epic, pumped with orchestrations, some more oriental, some sounding like a witcher game soundtrack but we've seen it all before, the second track is where the fun starts.
The Whisper Of Ancient Rocks. Well, sounds like someone listened to Sonata Arctica's Picturing The Past too much. And Dragonforce. And replaced the drummer with washing machine. On vocals we have something new, a vocalist with his balls intact, still it's impossible to hear the lyrics because of his poor english but we hear some screams, passion and words like "power", "glory" , "moon", "demons", "abyss" so all generic power metal crap we need. Overall this track is everything Pathfinder is about: high speed power metal made in 75% of guitar and keyboard solos, washing machine having some kind of mid-life crisis and non specified epic lyrics sung in typical power metal fashion. Bass? Well fuck me if I heard any, as always. Maybe I didn't focus enough on solos- we have 2 guitarists that just love to show off how well their guitar skills compensate for their dick sizes, we have a solo on the intro, outro and a few in between. Keys are much more subtle in that manner.
I know I spent a lot of time on that one song but it pretty much sums the rest so let's cover the rest faster, shall we?
Vita Reducta: Through The Portal, another intro song, this time slow piano suddenly turns into some kind of suspense horror sounds with a guy having an orgasm while droping his sword. Interesting.
Anyway, intro doesn't have much to do with the next song, Pathway To The Moon, which is similar to the second track, maybe the lyrics are a little bit more understandable here. If not for ochestrations that are louder than vocals, oh well, it's epic so we don't have to hear the lyrics. This time we step more into symphonic territory with female vocals but relief comes soon with many solos, as always. Short bass solo tells me a bassist is somewhere there, good, good boy, have a cookie.
All The Mornings Of The World starts as usual, with 50 seconds solo but is a little bit different, a strange mix between sad lyrics and typical power metal "happy solos". This song reminds me greatly of Wintersun's Death And The Healing, both are a little bit sad and both have very few vocals compared to instrumental parts, only Wintersun knows where to stop with solos, Pathfinder can't. "Look at me ma, I can play this solo with my feet!". But that's what defines this band so I ain't complaining.
The Demon Awakens, where this time the vocalist has a midlife crisis and is talking with his demon half, better leave him like this, same pattern as always- some vocals, solos, orchestrations, solos, vocals, female vocals, solos. Clothes inside that washing machine must be liquid at this point.
Undiscovered Dreams, finally a slower song. So, let's not scare our listeners with so much change and start with another guitar solo. Finally a song where female vocals have more spotlight. The whole song is a typical duet diabetus-sweet ballad but with amazingly epic (and quite expected at this point) chorus. I believe this song alone can say that the band is serious about making a record in the history of power metal.
The Lord Of Wolves, probably their most popular song due to their music video where you can see all kind of not explained epicness, knights, sorcery, ninja turtles, wolves, tits, armies and whatnot. We have another cool bass solo and the rest of the song is pretty much solos with unclear vocals abou-oh you know it by now, next song.
A midtempo song Sons Of Immortal Fire. There is nothing interesting or funny I can say at this point of the review. I can only say that their video "10 rules of Power Metal" screwed this song for me as they twisted the chorus of this song in video intro and I can't stop smiling like an idiot everytime I hear it. Anyway a very good, hit track, reminding me greatly of Sonata Arctica's My Land when it comes to catchyness and emotions.
Uhh, last 5 songs on the album but I don't think I can do it anymore.. I'm oversoloed and overepicked.. Stardust, one of 2 longer tracks on this record and one of the most epic ones. I think the word "epic" is overused in this review and has close to no meaning but who cares. The outro is 2 minutes and 30 seconds but as the track is somewhat a climax of this album it's completely justified.
Dance Of Flames, best song on the album. Because it's a minute long. Instrumental, funny song. Like watching an Adventure Time cartoon after having a wild sex, brings good memories and associations.
To The Island Of Immortal Fire, this title could be more power metal only by calling it "Magic Rainbow of Immortal Dragon's Fire". I hope the band will use my title in their next album. Also try to squeeze an unicorn there, I failed. The song? Oh, a midtempo, epic but not as good as Sons Of Winter And Sta-ekhem, Sons Of Immortal Fire. During solos we have some tempo changes.
And there it is, over 10 minutes of Pathfinder essence, the title track Beyond The Space, Beyond The Time. The one thing here that's beyond the space and time is their chain of thought: "hey guys, after over 38 minutes of fast power metal on this album I know what we need to sum it up! Over 10 minute song with power metal solos and gibberish, but this time with guest vocals!". Well, anything you've ever wanted (or not) out of power metal is here. Well, ok, one thing is missing, but I will reveal it in the end of this shitty review.
Last track is instrumental outro What If... and at this point I don't care anymore, review is over, hurray!
Allright, some last thoughts: with this debut album Pathfinder was really trying to make an impact in the power metal world, and they succeeded. The sound is fresh, actually hard to describe as the band took the best elements out of power metal bands and took it to extreme levels. And when it comes to that they greatly remind me of japanese bands, japanese are known of getting something that works and making it better with their skills. And skills are shown in Pathfinder, drums and guitars are extreme^2, orchestrations and everything that could make this music more epic and groundshaking is present, only vocals are kind of weaker compared to the rest. But they deliver enough to make this band memorable and unique. And the thing missing in their songs is.. gayness. For Power Metal it's not really that gay, especially compared to Titanium debut album. But I'm sure that some extremely gay stuff happens behind the scenes..
Final score:
Vocals: 7/10
Guitars: 10/10
Bass: potato/10
Drums: 10-/10
Keyboards: 10/10
bonus stuff:
+ too many solos (TOO MANY COOKS, TOO MANY COOKS!)
+ speeeeeeeeeeed
+ legendary epicness of vulcanic doom tragedy.
++ female vocals get 2 pluses
+ orchestrations and instrumental stuff
+ next to fudge and mead they are the best export product Poland has to offer
- sometimes orchestrations are louder than vocals
- can be exhausting on first listen
Total score: 104%, kinda explains why it's one of my favourite bands.
And here as a bonus is the video I was talking about earlier
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