1967/ 1976
"Warchants & Fairytales" is the debut album from the Svedish Power Metal band Freternia and the style is a good melodic Power Metal, not Symphonic but with Speed parts, not distant to Blind Guardian. But also Helloween is a bandthat have a real importance for Freternia as 80's Metal. The presence of keyboards is the distinctive imprint for this band. That not have Symphonic or Neoclassical parts, but a mix of both genres. Also if the Speed Metal dominates all the style of this band.
That said I am amazed to see that a band so good for songwriting (and interpretation) hasn't had any success. In fact, if we listen to carefully the album we can, every second of every song, scroll to see ahead of us influences or moments of songs copied by others classic Heavy Metal but managed to build a truly personal music. The use of Speed Metal is for increase the epic of music, which the chorus can't do. Important is the use of Thrash metal parts, because otherwise the music was too melodic. The use of rhythmic soli is another distinctive mark of Freternia music. Because Patrik Lund (lead guitar) and Mikael Bakajev (rhythmic guitar) are really able to create a unique atmosphere, ably supported (and not so intrusive) from keyboards (by Tommie Johansson). The rhythmic section is good. The bass player (Tomas Wappling) isn't a monster and the drummer (Stefan Svantesson) is a good and dynamic drummer. Pasi Humppi, the vocalist, present a style similar to Chris Boltendahl. The writing style is grat: a perfect mix of the elements that I already described with great arrangements.
Certainly if Speed Power Metal or Melodic Power Metal please you this is a great album.