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Extremely listenable second album from Finland's Twilight Guardians here, a rushing collection of slickly produced Power Metal jewels that flow over the ears like white-water rapids, never quite ceasing their barrage. Not only does this album contain some super-catchy songs and lightning-fast instrumentation, but it also has a lot of longevity too, as I bought this when it came out and it's as good today as it was then, despite the genre moving on a little.

Taking their cues from countrymen Dreamtale, Twilight Guardians play fast, keyboard-led neo-classical Power Metal laced with that ever-so-loathed candy-coated brand of melody bands like Edguy, Morifade and Sonata Arctica tend to write so well. There are plenty of sweeping guitars here, a lot of double kicking drums, some powerful choruses, and of course, a crystal-clear Finnvox production that is one of the most beneficial factors when weighing up this beauty. The sound is one of the reasons this is so easy on the ears, as at times the guitar/keyboard interplay can get a little overpowering, particularly in the solo sections. Song-wise, most tracks are winners, with definite highlights being the graceful "Angels", fiery opener "Weak Generation", the epic "King of the Wasteland" all ticking the right boxes.

The album does have its weak points, however. One being the pretty odd cover of Priest's "Rocka Rolla", the other lies with vocalist Vesa Virtanen, whose rich tones are a little stuffy for the bombastic flair of the material, and though he carries the melodies well, a little more dexterity in his range would have helped. Still, a quality Power Metal record that will have you singing along at every turn (to some pretty weird lyrics, I'll admit); fans of the genre would do well to check it out.