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CRYONIC TEMPLE :
IN THY POWER

First of all, that has to be one of the worst Metal logos this side of a Black-Metal band. It looks so simple at first, but I'll be damned if I wasn't able to make it out! I actually had to "google" the f*ckin' album title just to find out the name of the band! Now, usually I don't care much about lyrics. You can sing about unrequited love, drunken partying, Satan, or eating gopher entrails, it's all cool by me, just as long as your songs kick ass. So I was a little surprised by myself, when try as I might, I could just not get past this band's cheese-filled lyrical content. You see this Swedish band is an old-school Power-Metal outfit, and they fall into that "let's sing about kings, warriors, and third-rate, ripped-off Lord Of The Rings themes" category. Now, I loved the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy as much as the next person, and truth be told, I have more than a passing interest in all things Conan as well. But when it comes to praising this stuff in song, as if we're all living in some elf-infested fantasy land, it's just too much. Hell, I think the only thing lamer is Christian Metal. Just so you get where the band is coming from, here is a lyric sample:

Even though our kingdom can die
We must try to hold our heads high
Now the time will come for us
Make a stand and fight for our king

In the power of our king (power of our king)
We will fight and never die
He's the keeper of our ring (keeper of our ring)
For us he is divine

Almost makes you wanna puke don't it? How can you sing that stuff on stage with a straight face? I mean come on... When Death-Metal bands are ranting about zombies and such, that's silly as well, but we all know it's kind of tongue-in-check, so it's cool. With this however... Anyway, that's why in the end, I could not like this disc no matter how hard I tried. However, lyrics aside, there is some decent music going on here. It's fast, it's pretty heavy, and there are some memorable hooks to be found. At their best they remind of classic Maiden and Priest, but then they also remind of Hammerfall, Manowar, and a myriad of cheesy Euro Power-Metal outfits. So, if you still dig the whole Dungeons & Dragons vibe, then jump on in, this is for you, others should steer clear. Oh, and for you collectors of fantasy themed cheese, you should know that there is apparently a limited edition digi-pack out there with the following bonus tracks; "Empire" (Demo 1999), "Redeemer" (Demo 1999), and "As I Slowly Die" (Demo 2000). For more info, check out cryonictemple.com.
RATING = 4 Power-Metal (Released 2005)

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