ASTRAL KINGDOM – Power Metal Through The Universe

Power Metal Through The Universe is a demo release from Astral Kingdom, a band from Vasteras, Sweden that plays –- wait for it -– Power Metal. This independent offering is the first release for the group, and is made up of a brief intro and three full songs. Astral Kingdom has made a bit of a name for themselves on the local scene, and is looking to take it to the next level.

After the brief intro (“So The Journey Begins”) that every Heavy Metal album must have, Astral Kingdom gets down to business with the first full song, the title track. It tackles a truly worthy topic: how great Heavy Metal is … and who’s to argue that? This song has some pretty good guitar work and a fairly high energy level. Keyboards are used quite a bit on this song, and don’t sound out of place. The chorus is catchy as well; this is a solid tune, although like the rest of the EP, it could benefit from better production. For an independent release, the production on Power Metal Through The Universe is pretty good, though.

The next track, “The Wanderer,” follows in a similar vein to the title song: galloping guitars, heavy drums, and tackles another Metal mantra: never give up, and always keep fighting for what you believe in. This song isn’t terribly original, but it’s still good enough, even though it goes on a bit too long.

Power Metal Through The Universe ends with what is probably the best song on the disc: “Ocean Sorrow.” This is a slower-paced attempt at a mini-epic, and it works pretty well. The piano line that plays through the song is good, and the vocals of Robert Nilsson are effective. A fairly florid solo rounds things out nicely. “Ocean Sorrow” has all the makings of a monster ballad somewhere down the road.

Talent-wise, Astral Kingdom is generally solid, albeit in a workmanlike fashion — everyone knows how to handle their instruments with a decent degree of skill, but at the same time there are no virtuosos in the group. The songs have melody and commendable structure; the guys can pen a respectable tune. The vocals of Nilsson could stand to be a bit more forceful and dynamic, but that’s something that can be worked on over time.

Power Metal Through The Universe is a decent debut for Astral Kingdom, one that could easily lead to bigger things for them in the future.