▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Cryonic Temple ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Into the Glorious Battle █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-04-30 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Scarlet Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Cryonic Temple's first concept album Into The █ █ Glorious Battle is destined to be not only the █ █ best work of their career but perhaps one of the █ █ very best this genre ever produced. It ranks up █ █ there in pure melodic intelligence with Iron █ █ Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Metal acts █ █ of the future might take heed of this cohesive █ █ collection of power metal story-songs as a █ █ blueprint on how to create an outstanding █ █ conceptual release---musically and █ █ lyrically---from beginning to end. █ █ █ █ The hallmark of artistically (and commercially) █ █ successful concept albums is the strong creative █ █ foundation necessary to hold the weight of a █ █ sophiscated musical structure. It's no accident █ █ Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime and Blind █ █ Guardian's Nightfall in Middle-Earth contain key █ █ introductions and mid-section themes to continue █ █ to move the story forward. These pieces are █ █ usually elegant instrumentals and/or spoken-word █ █ narrations vital to propel the project from good █ █ song-writing to grand story-telling. █ █ Cryonic Temple follows suit by opening this opus █ █ with "The Beginning of a New Era" which is █ █ atypical in that is resonates a time of positive █ █ expectations. Often conceptual albums are built on █ █ dramatic struggle from the very start. Their █ █ mid-section track "The Speech" is again a welcome █ █ change of pace for it exhorts soldiers unto war █ █ for noble reasons. "Man of a Thousand Faces" is █ █ the second track and the beginning of this album █ █ in all deep majesty. It is from this song both in █ █ sound and lyric that changes any past perception █ █ of this band. Vocals for a concept album are █ █ monumentally important because the breadth of █ █ story cannot be conveyed if the singer sounds like █ █ his body is being beaten through the streets of █ █ Rome. The vocals here are clear, crisp and █ █ confident projections of progressive metal poetry. █ █ Change is magnificent when successful. Cryonic █ █ Temple's new musical direction is a brilliant █ █ blend of Pretty Maids meets early Europe with █ █ today's power metal sensibilities upheld through █ █ astounding production values. The next four tracks █ █ "All The Kingsmen," "Prepare For War," "Heroes of █ █ the Day" and "Mighty Eagle" carefully set the █ █ stage for the major battle. What is exciting to █ █ note is normally the lyricist rushes to the █ █ warfront with little regard to how of all this █ █ began. Cryonic Temple again upsets bland █ █ expectations by delivering deliberate thematic █ █ pacing to reinforce the overall concept and █ █ perhaps to permit focus on a diverse palette of █ █ surprising harmonic directions. █ █ "Into The Glory Battle" (ironically not synonymous █ █ with album's title) is where the war for the █ █ future of a faraway land ignites into a glorious █ █ battle. History makes it clear that sometimes █ █ peace can only be found on the other side of war. █ █ Evocative guitar work on this track particularly █ █ wins my heart because you can hear the commitment █ █ of this band serving the story line even when █ █ soloing----every note rings true and makes █ █ complete sense. ? █ █ The next five tracks "Mean Streak," "Flying Over █ █ Snowy Fields," "Can't Stop The Heat," "The War Is █ █ Useless" and "Heavy Burden" move the story to the █ █ second half where the prosecution and consequences █ █ of war weigh as just as much on civilians as they █ █ do on the pilots dying in the skies. Bravo to the █ █ vocalist whom expertly judges each song theme and █ █ belts out correspondingly the right chord to match █ █ the right mood. Another promising sign that the █ █ band has bought into every facet of this █ █ futuristic fantasy. █ █ The final track "Freedom" is set apart in my ears █ █ and eyes as a lyrical lighthouse shining █ █ brilliantly at night to steer lost and weary █ █ travelers away from the jagged rocks of rugged █ █ reality. In the short canon of metal concept █ █ albums none have concluded their stories in a █ █ positive manner. Cryonic Temple have turned the █ █ tables upside down and bravely present a stirring █ █ conclusion to a noble but costly battle. This █ █ musical development alone would be unprecedented █ █ if not for the additional fact that "Freedom" is █ █ nearly an eight-minute semi-ballad. We are █ █ frequently the choices we make and the choices █ █ Cryonic Temple has repeatedly made throughout this █ █ album speak volumes about their creative minds and █ █ their steadfast heart. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. The Beginning of a New Era 2:27 ░ ░ 2. Man of a Thousand Faces 5:17 ░ ░ 3. All the Kingsmen 4:48 ░ ░ 4. Prepare for War 4:33 ░ ░ 5. Heroes of the Day 5:11 ░ ░ 6. Mighty Eagle 3:31 ░ ░ 7. Into the Glory Battle 4:19 ░ ░ 8. The Speech 0:54 ░ ░ 9. Mean Streak 3:04 ░ ░ 10. Flying Over the Snowy Fields 4:13 ░ ░ 11. Can't Stop the Heat 4:41 ░ ░ 12. This War is Useless (Eulogy) 5:12 ░ ░ 13. Heavy Burden 5:31 ░ ░ 14. Freedom 7:55 ░ ░ 61:36 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░