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Making a lot of waves in the underground at the moment, Finnish Power Metallers Excalion are back with their much anticipated third album, the sweeping High Time, and while it isn't quite as ingenious as some people claim, it is still a quality record of catchy, mid-paced metal that will have the masses bowing down from the first track until the last.

I first ran into this lot a number of years ago with a demo of theirs I picked up in a used record store (I'm not quite sure how that little CD-R turned up, but hey, it had a snazzy cover), and even from those three dubious recordings, I knew Excalion were a band to keep an eye on. Their Primal Exhale debut was a nice record, as was its storming follow up Waterlines (from which the band required their underground fame). But High Time is without a doubt their strongest album to date, and their greatest set of songs too, particularly the opening pair, "Enter A Life" and the absolutely superb "From Somewhere To Anywhere", which is quite possibly the catchiest song I've heard all year.

The band's sound sits somewhere between Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica, sounding very Finnish, with a little bit of Kamelot in there (on songs such as "Sun Stones" and "The Shroud"), and a few progressive and hard rock elements that give it it's flourish. Vocalist Jarmo Paakkonen is the star of the show here, his voice a rough mix of Timo Kotipelto and Russell Allen that soars above the marching guitars and typically majestic keys with varying degrees of ease. There are some great tracks on this thing, and while most hit the mid-paced mark, some do ratchet up the intensity.

It's a wonder this band hasn't been snatched up by a bigger label, as they have more talent in them than most who achieve wider recognition, but I'm sure High Time will push them onto greater things. A band very much in the spotlight, Excalion have produced a fine melodic metal album here that should not be missed. Go get it while it's still hot.