OLYMPOS MONS - Conquistador |
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Olympos Mons is the highest known volcano in the solar system. It's located on Mars and nearly 27 km high. But there is also quite a good metal band sharing the same cosmic name. Although the debut by the Finnish quartet is a combination of power and melodic metal, the result isn't dull at all. The very melodic yet epic opener Seven Seas is a track reminding me strongly of Blind Guardian. Although the following songs don't keep the same high level, the strong and highly developed vocals by Ian Highhill (what a Finnish name) keep the overall impression above par. That's quite important because power metal largely depends on the quality of the vocals which are here more than all right. Concerning song writing, Olympos Mons won't get a prize for originality, but I could imagine that fans of Rhapsody or Angra will appreciate this record which uses a lot of non metal instruments like flutes, pipes and violins. I mostly recommend the opener and the more dramatic songs Black and Through The Ice And Snow. The closing title song is another well structured highlight on the record. Apart from using too much pathos, in terms of overdone choruses, Conquistador is a surprisingly good debut. Let's hope that it will get the deserved attention. |