TIMELESS MIRACLE — Into The Enchanted Chamber (review)

TIMELESS MIRACLE — Into The Enchanted Chamber album cover

Album · 2005 · Power Metal

1/5 · 2016-07-17
Unitron

MMA Reviewer's Challenge: July 2016

Into the Enchanted Chamber is the debut, and so far only album, from power metal band Timeless Miracle.

The band's name, album title, and album cover all paint a good picture of the type of power metal that awaits on this release. This is folk metal-infused Euro power metal, blending the speed of bands like Dragonforce, the catchy melodies of Blind Guardian, symphonic instrumentation, and varying folk elements. The band blends all these traits quite well, especially with the tracks "Witches of Black Magic", "The Devil", "The Gates of Hell", and the title cut. The latter's symphonic features are reminiscent of the serene strings of classic progressive rock band Curved Air. "The Devil", "The Gates of Hell", and "Down to the Gallows" are easily my favorites, which all have fantastic sea-shanty/folksy melodies that are pretty addicting.

This is the kind of power metal that many would probably describe as "cheesy". While I usually dislike it when bands like Dragonforce are just passed off as being cheesy, I do have to admit that this album certainly does have it's moments of cheese. This is heard mostly in the vocals and lyrics, and the keyboards can also get a bit overbearing. Sometimes the melodies can also be a bit too lighthearted, such as the main chorus found on "The Red Rose", which just gets grating after awhile. Multiple choruses follow this pattern of being too happy and going on for too long. On the other hand, "The Dark Side Forest" is too short as it has the makings of a pretty stellar folk metal piece.

Lyrically, it's pretty hit or miss, sometimes they're decent and then generic at times such as the aforementioned "The Red Rose". However, with "Return of the Werewolf", the lyrics reach their lowest point. The song's lyrics relating to Red Riding Hood just end up being laughable. It's hard to take lyrics related to fairy tales seriously, especially in metal. It just ruins the song, which is a shame because the music is pretty good. Mikael Holst does a decent job with the vocals for the most part, having a very melodic voice that is well-suited for folksy power metal such as this; however, his vocals can be a bit annoying at times. Take the first time you hear his voice on the opening track for example, it sounds like someone with an already nasal-y voice inhaling helium. Fortunately, the album ends with the killer epic "The Voyage" which easily makes up for the off-putting opening. Especially the end of the epic is fantastic, mixing grandiose melody with killer riffs and percussion.

While it can get a bit too cheesy at times, Into the Enchanted Chamber is still a pretty good power metal album, and blends all of it's attributes quite well. If you're a power metal fan looking for some symphonic and folk metal as well, this would certainly not be a bad choice.

more than 2 years ago
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TheHeavyMetalCat wrote:

more than 2 years ago

"You gonna have a go next time?"

I don't know. Maybe. I've never written a review before, much as I like reading them.

DippoMagoo wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Well, I'm 100% sure there will be at least one super positive review on the 19th :)

Can't say either way if there will be negative reviews or not.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Thanks, and I do enjoy the vocals for the most part and the lyrics aren't bad. Just sometimes get a bit too much sometimes for my tastes. :-)

I wonder if the next set of reviews will be a mix of both positive and negative, it will make this challenge quite evened out.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

You gonna have a go next time?

TheHeavyMetalCat wrote:

more than 2 years ago

"One thing about this album- it's inspiring strong views at both ends of the spectrum!"

That's why I like reading these Reviewer's Challenges. Completely different tone today than the first two. Looking forward to the next ones.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Macabre have used nursery rhymes in their music, although with completely different subject matter and style...

One thing about this album- it's inspiring strong views at both ends of the spectrum!

DippoMagoo wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great review, even if I disagree about the lyrics and vocals, lol! I did enjoy all your comments on the actual music, though.

I also love that Carach Angren album Adam mentioned. Maybe it's because I subconsciously realized its lyrical themes were similar to some of this album?

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Thanks, and I'll have to check that song and band out.