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You can always go to Sweden's Axenstar for some straight-to-the-point melodic Power Metal, and while they lost their way in the folds mediocrity many years after this, their 2002 debut Perpetual Twilight is really somewhat of a lost classic in the genre. Despite its many flaws, it's a record I go back to all the time, just because of its no-bullshit immediacy.

Sounding pretty much like everyone else, Axenstar play lightning fast, double-kicked Power Metal with fret-raping solos, smooth keys, tremolo bass, and of course, melodic verse and chorus patterns, which are very silky indeed. Now, vocalist Magnus Eriksson is a terrible singer, let's be honest. He sounds like he is constantly sucking a piece of candy or even a lemon sherbet, and it gets on my nerves so much I end up screaming at the damn stereo. But Christ, his vocal lines are so catchy you can't help but join him in a bit of pointless imitation. What do I get out of this? Nothing! Why do I do it? Give "All I Could Ever Be" a listen and you'll find out.

Every track on here is ripped from a different band, be it Sonata Arctica one moment, Helloween the next, Dream Evil after that, following with Falconer...you get the idea. There's nothing original about this at all, and the production is so heavily condensed it sounds like it was recorded under sixteen feet of carpet, and yet, it is a good record. Their best in fact, despite the cleaner production they would attain for follow up Far From Heaven. There are some great songs here, from the stupid but infectious "King Of Tragedy", "The Cross We Bear", and the pretty excellent "New Revelations", which manages to be a happy but also rather morose epic that eventually gets to a cracking vocal line that cements itself as Axenstar's crowning achievement.

Not the best ever Power Metal album by any means, but certainly one genre buffs should get hold of. All the rest of you will come to them eventually. They seem to have that effect on people.