DESTINATION’S CALLING – End Of Time

Six years after their debut release, Invisible Walls, the German Heavy Metal band Destination’s Calling is finally back with their much anticipated sophomore album. But, make no mistake; these guys aren’t freshmen in the Metal scene. They started out in 1999, and gradually made their way to the bigger venues. They’ve shared the stage with Brainstorm, Morgana Lefay, Freedom Call, and Serenity (among others).

With their new release, End Of Time, the style is still Heavy Metal with elements from Prog/Power. The band’s advantage point is beyond any doubt Christian Gräter’s vocals. He is a much better vocalist now than he was back when they released Invisible Walls. The band is also utilizing vocal harmonies that at times are reminiscent of Evergrey to a greater extent than on the debut. However, overall they have a lighter atmospheric approach to their songs than the aforementioned band.

End Of Time has its up-tempo songs, the heavier mid-tempo songs, and the ballads. The ballads, “The Broken Hourglass,” “Another Day” and “Dark Poem,” aren’t exactly unique and they sound much like any Heavy Metal ballad these days. Three ballads on one album seems a bit excessive, especially since they don’t vary much from each other. However, they are executed well enough and Gräter does his very best to carry the songs. In fact, his vocals are what make them a bearable listen.

They are at their best when they play the heavier songs like “Feel The Rain,” “Soulbound,” the title track and “Walking On Thin Ice,” where the vocal harmonies are among their strong points. The album was recorded in Gate-Studio with legendary Metal producer Sascha Paeth, and the sound on this album is great. The mix is very open and you can hear all the instruments clearly, yet the sound is very heavy.

Despite the ballads, Destination’s Calling is taking a step up from their debut album. They’ve matured as a band, and the songwriting and song arrangements are proof of this. Destination’s Calling isn’t reinventing the wheel with End Of Time, but there’s a still a lot of good music to enjoy here, and at times they are really impressive.

Line-up:
Christian Gräter – Vocals/Guitar
Markus Christian – Guitar/Vocals
Christian Frank – Drums
Steffen Singler – Bass