review by: Roberto Martinelli

You know you'll get more totally wussy power metal with the release of a new record by Freedom Call. The band doesn't even try to hide the fact its music is totally gay. In case you think I'm exaggerating, consider the fact the first record is called Stairway to Fairyland. Even by German power metal standards, this band is pretty fruity. They give Edguy a run for its money.

Freedom Call's last record, Crystal Empire (review in issue #3), is one of my favorite anti-albums ever. Since then, I've grown to appreciate and even shamelessly like some of this brand of music that is really about as far away as what heavy metal was intended to be but at the same time defies classification as anything but metal. Eternity is cheesy and often embarrassing, yes, but there's something finely controlled and calculated about it that makes me think it's not such a bad album. (Objectively, the only thing that really falls flat on the record is when something like death metal vocals are attempted on a short part of one song.)

In fact, I think it's a pretty good album. Sure, it's total cheese pop mixed with metal; inane lyrics about hailing the metal invasion presented in a sing along way with beats and structures you've heard a million times. But Freedom Call can play and seem to know exactly what they're doing, and damn it, I enjoyed some of the songs. It's fun and it's light and it's mindless, and it's well done. Don't be afraid, embrace the gayness, you may find you like Freedom Call, too.