Dreamtale`s “Everlasting Flame”: majestic power-metal with two new voices

After power-metal legends Dreamtale had parted ways with the vocalist Erkki Seppänen, vocally the band was upgraded with not one, but two singers: Jarno Vitri and Nitte Valo. For me personally the presence of Nitte in such epic project as Dreamtale was far beyond promising, as I’ve been a fan of this lady since the original Battle Beast. So, gotta say that having more than one voice in the band is always a good option due to the diversity it provides. And thats exactly what we experience with the opening song “King of Kings” which by itself is a kick-ass folkish banger that immediately takes you to some medieval discoteque with its catchiest tune. While the lyrics sung in turns by Jarno and Nitte, line by line, add even more dynamic to the already blasting song. The following pirate-themed “Blood of the Morning Star“, that starts with a whistle intro and becomes framed in the riffs pretty fast, doesnt, actually, allow us to take a breath. In the mysterious “Last Goodbyes” the tempo slows down a bit, yet this love song isn`t a less of a banger for sure. Also it is marked by one of the most memorable Dreamtale keyboard and guitar solo combination.

Maybe it is just me, but “Ghostride” immediately reminded me of another ride-themed song, which is “Last Ride of The Day” by Nightwish due to a couple of slight melodic twists in the chorus together with the general gloomy drive of the song. Yet, “Ghostride” appeared to be less straight-forward, so to speak, with a more versatile song structure, and also there we have a vivid chance to hear what Nitte’s capable of, like going from soprano to agressive roaring.

If we take a look at the “Everlasting Flame” as a narration, we cant help noticing how skillfully album is composed in terms of musical storytelling, as it doesnt let you get bored for a split second, it always keeps you intrigued and captivated. The “Immortal Souls” is the finest example, where the tempo develops from the measured and sublime to pretty energetic and assertive. The cyber-punk imagery of this song is graced by the most touching guitar solo on the album. Curiously, the cyber-punk atmosphere is in the air in the next two songs – the melancholic “No Shadow Goes Too Far” and groovy “Summer Rose“.

The major trade-mark of Dreamtale is, probably, how they’ve managed tp remain true to the old-school power metal with its galloping drums and pompous(in a good way) melodies. And “The Glory” is, probably, the most vivid example of that. Not surprised it was chosen to become a video-single as it represents everything – the band, the new album, the new vocalists – just perfectly.

I assume that “Eye for an Eye” was at some point inspired by Queen`s “We Will Rock You“, well, in spirit the resemblance of these songs is unquestionable. The song starts right away, without any preludes, with a well known rhythm and with the recitative. And, having speeded up in the second verse, it turns into the most epic battle song I’ve heard lately.

The distinguished feature of the “Everlasting Flame” is that two old Dreamtale songs were re-recorded for it with the new vocals, and “Lady Dragon” is the first one, originally from 2008 album “Phoenix”. So, turning a fast tempo song into a slow metal ballad was a very refreshing idea, in my opinion, due to how heartbreaking the lyrics are…While there is one little surprise in this song that came so unexpected, so I don’t wanna spoil it even. The only thing I will say is that famous guitar solo is still splendid. The “Silent Scream” is another banger that gave me personally the biggest chills out of all songs on the album, as lyrics resonated the most, and it felt like the most emotional and expressive song on the album, with both vocalists showing their extreme “screaming’ side. The Finnish rowdy song “Tanhupullo” is another surprise on the album. The lyrics are based on heavy drinking and a bit of nature, and its cool that among all those fabulous symphonic melodies and majestic compositions guys found a room for a genuine fun.

“Sleeping Beauty” is that second re-recorded song, which originally had Erkki Seppänen on vocals. No tempo change this time, the song is just shared between two voices, and its great that no one tried to oversang Erkki, singing like the song/heart was telling to, so this version turned out to be more dreamy and gentle. And the song “Pirates’ Lullaby” is where this epic power-metal journey comes to its logical conclusion. The pirate themed ballad with some sea shanty included is the shortest song on the album, that confirms my thought that the longer you say good-bye – the sadder you become.

I`d like to thank Dreamtale for this wonderful journey, which took one hour, and I didnt get bored for a single second of it. Thanks for staying true to power-metal and remaining consistent in what they create througout these years. And, most of all, thanks for the fantastic music – in the most literal meaning of the word “fantastic”.