Led by Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai, it’s not a stretch to see why Sons of Seasons gets such a push – Kamelot are as hot of commodity in the power metal scene as ever. Naturally, anytime a band catches fire, someone is going to want a piece of the action
, and while it’s clear that Sons of Seasons is Palotai’s creative vehicle, that doesn’t mean it’s worth standing alongside Kamelot, or any other forward-thinking power metal band for that matter.
The follow up to 2009’s Gods of Vermin, Magnisphyricon continues with the band’s thread of symphonic power metal. Palotai’s keyboards are the focal point, with the man sticking in some ivory-action whenever he can, such as on opener “Magnisphyricon: Temperance” and “Into the Void.” While most of Palotai’s keyboard-movements are well-placed, they’re hardly the show-stoppers that Jens Johansson (Stratovarius) or Janne Warmen (Children of Bodom) pull off.
Vocalist Henning Basse offers a variety of voices throughout this 14-song outing (which needs trimmed down, by the way). Basse is joined by Epicasinger Simone Simons (also Palotai’s girlfriend) on “Sanctuary” which naturally, emerges as one of the album’s more memorable cuts. Basse lends a more aggressive side to his voice on “A Nightbird’s Gospel,” while he manages to augment the heavier portions of “Tales of Greed” and “1413” with a tempered, but well-placed degree of grace and tonality.
Ambitious in scope, but lacking in execution, Magnisphyricon does little to warrant more than a cursory glance. Of course, the inclusion of Simons usually turns a few heads and the swelling Kamelot fanbase can probably something of value here, yet this really is a wholly unremarkable power metal album from someone who has enough seasoning to know better.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)