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Valley's Eve were the first band to feature future Mystic Prophecy stars R.D. Liapakis and Martin Albrecht, and Deception of Pain was their third album way back in 2002, and considering the scene was loaded with Gamma Ray/Helloween clones, this must've come as a surprise. Limb called this Aggressive Power Metal, but really it is a solid metal album somewhere between Dark at Dawn and Angel Dust, with subtle keys, catchy melodies, and powerful performances. If you've heard Mystic Prophecy, you'll be familiar with Liapakis's gruff vocal style, but he sounds pretty melodic here, mainly because he constructed great melodies for tunes like 'Point of No Return', with its double-kicking chorus, and the somber 'Mirror in Your Eyes', one of the best songs I've heard in a long time.

The guitars are simple, just throwing out classic metal riffs, with the bass and drums hitting you hard while Liapakis wails with desperation in his voice. You'd think an album over an hour long would be boring as hell, but Valley's Eve pull it off by pulling out awesome tunes like 'The Sun', 'Falling', and even the bonus track 'Shadows of Misery' having something to offer. I got this as a blind purchase, and it was certainly worth the price. If you want some melodic Power Metal that goes for heaviness and maturity over big choirs and songs about space pirates, grab a copy of Deception of Pain while they're still available.