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Review: Axenstar - Chapter VIII
Axenstar
www.axenstar.com
Chapter VIII

Label: Inner Wound Recordings
Year released: 2023
Duration: 45:22
Tracks: 10
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
3.75/5


Review online: December 13, 2023
Reviewed by: MetalMike
Readers' Rating
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Rated 3.5/5 (70%) (4 Votes)
Review

It's been 20 years since I first heard Axenstar's second album, Far from Heaven, one of the releases I grabbed when I was rediscovering metal. I really enjoyed it, but the next album, 2005's Inquisition, didn't do it for me and I lost track of them. 2023 sees the release of their eighth album, Chapter VIII, and I'm happy to say it's sounding a lot like what got me hooked all those years ago. Axenstar plays highly melodic power metal with a nice mix of guitars and keyboards that avoids symphonic territory. The album starts strong with the fast-paced "Heavenly Symphony" then runs through several signature Axenstar tracks like "The Great Deceiver" and "Holy Land." Chapter VIII does wane a bit towards the end with "Eye for an Eye" and "The War Within" not being as strong as the preceding songs, and singer Magnus Winterwild doesn't seem to have the same depth in his voice that he did earlier in his career, so overall the album doesn't hit quite as hard as it could. There isn't anything here that hasn't been done before, by Axenstar as well as others, but it is a solid album of melodic power metal, and it is good to hear the band can still crank out a double-kick tune you can sing along with.

See below for more reviews... ↓
More about Axenstar...
Review: Aftermath (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Far From Heaven (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Perpetual Twilight (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
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