In Thy Power

Sweden's Cryonic Temple is back with their third album, In Thy Power. Yes, the band is still playing true metal, containing many of the cliché lyrics (dragons, swords, battles, etc…) one would expect from a band in this genre. Having said that, I don't think the band will win any new fans with this release, but this is a blind buy for anyone who enjoyed the bands first two albums. Although the band has clearly found its niche and is sticking to it, I do feel that the band has taken a step forward with this release. As all of you know, there is nothing new or inventive with Cryonic Temple's sound, but I personally find these guys to be one of the few interesting bands of this genre getting regular play in my stereo these days. From start to finish, this album comes at you like a wall of sound; no power ballads or mid tempo filler tracks. Some may take issue with that, but it sure sounds like the band is focusing their energies on their strengths. To be quite honest, I feel that most power metal bands fail miserably when it comes to power ballads. Let the hard rock and AOR bands take care of that; it seems to be something they have a knack for. But, I digress. Fast paced, melodic power metal anthems are the band's strength, and they have crafted this album around that fact. In Thy Power is a natural progression from Blood, Guts, & Glory. While that album featured many killer songs, there were just a few indifferent moments as well. This album is more consistent. Even after dozens of listens, I never skip a track on this album. That's a big plus for me when it comes to judging an album's worth. I'm not saying that each of the songs are knock out classics (they're not), but nothing on this album is just so-so. As would be expected with a band's third album, the quality of the songwriting has improved. The songs are just a lot more interesting to listen to, and a lot more catchy that what we've heard in the past. Although Cryonic Temple have followed the often traveled road of power / true metal, I do want to note a few interesting moments that I found on the album. The opening track of the album, When Hell Freezes Over takes a short lived break from the fantasy based lyrics, and takes on issues involving the corrupt media. I like the heavy, yet serious tone of this track, and addictive chorus line "When Hell Freezes O-veeeeeeeeeeeer" will stay in your mind for quiet some time. With Wolfcry, Cryonic Temple have created a Maiden-esque song that is one of the many highlights of the album. From the opening bass lines to the extended soloing in the middle of the song, the guys really give Iron Maiden fans a lot to like here. The song still retains a Cryonic Temple identity, but the nod to Iron Maiden is very impressive, and extremely well done. Rapid Fire sounds eerily similar to a beefed up version of Judas Priest's Electric Eye in certain sections. Catchy and heavy riff work couple with energetic and melodic vocals makes this another winner track of the album. The album closes with an uplifting, epic sounding Eternal Flames of Metal. Yes, this song is guilty of the cliché Manowar "hooray for heavy metal" lyrics, but the guitar work and addictive, soaring chorus lines make this song too good to ignore. I am hard pressed to find a weak song of the bunch on this album. From a technical standpoint, the band leaves little room for error. The riffs throughout the album are thunderous, yet catchy at the same time. The solos on this album seem to be more in the spotlight than in the past, yet they do not "pull a Yngwie" and take the song off onto a tangent. The rhythm section is very tight, helped immensely by a much improved production job on this album. Singer Glen Metal (Johan Johansson) gives his most intense performance to date. He really gives the songs a heavy edge when called for (the chorus line of Hell Freezes Over is a prime example), yet he also carries a melody very well at all times. As I touched upon earlier, each of the tracks is heavy and energetic. Despite the lack of real variation in tempo, I found that each song was able to distinguish itself from the rest. The guys have come up with a steady diet of catchy riffs and chorus lines that ensure that each track finds its way into your memory. Amazingly enough, they band has avoided needless filler material or repetition on this album. Yes, the power metal recipe is nothing new. However, a terrible cook and an award winning cook with the same brownie recipe will almost certainly produce very different tasting brownies. I liken Cryonic Temple to a master cook in this instance. They have taken a well known and often used recipe, but they have done a fantastic job carrying it out so that the end result is a treat to your ears. Fans of this genre and of the band will find a lot to like here. The band continues to improve upon their songwriting skills, quickly making them a mainstay of this genre. There is nothing inventive or original here, but everything is very well done and performed. If that is what truly matters to you, then this album with be sure to satisfy.