After the beautiful “Stories of Times Forgotten” EP in 2021, KRILLOAN now present their first full-length album, “Emperor Rising”. The Swedish band had many symphonic power metal elements in its debut EP, but now the sound is changed to a more classic Euro-Power Metal style in the veins of BLIND GUARDIAN.
The album does not have much symphonic parts this time but it is very powerful, very speedy and full of energy. Actually, the band doesn’t let the listener take a breath, as the entire LP is extremely bombastic and pompous. “Emperor Rising” could be safely described as “Tales from the Twilight World” meeting “Nightfall in Middle-Earth”. So, the fans of that period of BLIND GUARDIAN and those who adore the ultra-fast power/speed metal will enjoy the album very much.
Every track is a dedication to the heroic and grandiose nature of the European Power Metal. “Prince of Caledor” and “Sons of the Lion” show how nicely can melody and speed be mixed. Also there are plenty of songs, such as “Fireborn” or “Stormlight”, that take classic heavy metal and push it to the anthemic side of power metal. In general, all the tracks, are not just for sitting down and enjoying some piece of music, but for running up and down, imagining endless battles and wars!
KRILLOAN’s debut took us by surprise, as it is less symphonic than the previous EP, but it is much more dynamic and much richer. “Emperor Rising” is a good choice for those who miss the late 80s – mid 90s era of BLIND GUARDIAN and that kind of speedy, heroic power metal.
