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After a tranquil intro, Italy's Highlord burst into a sharp, crystalline thrust of melodic Power Metal on their coveted third album, the highly listenable Breath Of Eternity. Their last for Northwind Records and the first to feature new vocalist Andrea Marchisio, the album takes the sound of When The Aurora Falls and gives it a more palatable, easy to digest formula that makes it all the more immediate. With a production at New Sin Studios, it sounds very Italian, but there is also a notable Finnish influence, mostly in the effects and voices used by synth-wizard Alessandro Muscio, which draws comparisons to Twilight Guardians and Dreamtale. Best thing about Breath Of Eternity is the songwriting; every track here is a coherently structured treat of Power Metal invention, with well-written riffs, sweeping but not overly pretentious solos, and vocal lines that soar and stick in the mind.

I'll generally go for Medusa's Coil when I'm after a Highlord fix, but Breath Of Eternity shouldn't be overlooked either; it is an admirable listen with some cracking tunes (the luscious "Dream Chaser", in particular), and an easy addition to a collection that contains records by Labyrinth, Sonata Arctica, Oracle Sun, and Angra.