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Review: Saidian - Evercircle
Saidian
www.saidian.org
Evercircle

Label: Blistering Records
Year released: 2009
Duration: 56:04
Tracks: 10
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
3/5


Review online: August 14, 2009
Reviewed by: MetalMike
Readers' Rating
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Rated 3.8/5 (76%) (15 Votes)
Review

Formed back in 2004, Germany's Saidian released Evercircle, their 3rd full length album this past May. "Happy" melodic Power Metal is what they play, the kind pioneered by Helloween on the Keepers albums. One night, while listening to Evercircle, my wife, who does not consider herself a metalhead, walked into the room and said "so, what Helloween clone is this?" if that helps to underscore how closely aligned with that style of music this album is. I actually hear more Edguy as well as newer Power Metal bands like Heavenly and Arthemis, with Evercircle sticking with a more mid-paced tempo.

Evercircle starts in typical Power Metal fashion with "Out of the Shadows," a nice up-tempo rocker, but then the album takes a very weird trip through a time-warp back to the 80s. "Tokyo" has an opening riff that sounds eerily like Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" and then "Solomon's Dance" opens with a keyboard riff that sounds suspiciously like Europe's "The Final Countdown." You have to sit through a sappy ballad ("Once in My Dreams") before the album gets back on track with "Pale Moon Rider." The remainder of Evercircle is filled with decent, mid-paced songs before finishing with the strongest track on the album, "Halos for Everyone." This song is so reminiscent of Edguy's Theatre of Salvation album – I think Tobias Sammet is due a co-writing credit. One thing that Saidian excel at is the catchy chorus, with "Solomon's Dance" and "Halos for Everyone" sticking in my head like gum on the bottom of my shoe.

The peformances on Evercircle are solid with some creative lead work from guitarist Rodrigo Blattert and keyboardist Markus Bohr, but the real star is singer Markus Engelfried. He has the high-pitched, clear delivery so common to Power Metal and when he screams, he sounds a good deal like the aforementioned Herr Sammet.

Overall, Evercircle is somewhat uneven and sounds a too much like other bands at times, but it is, nonetheless a fun listen. If you are just putting your toes into the Power Metal pool, I can give you some better places to start, but if you're in up to your ears, you will probably enjoy Saidian's efforts.

More about Saidian...
Review: Evercircle (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: For Those Who Walk the Path Forlorn (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Phoenix (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
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