In the face of loss, French symphonic power metal arises with their latest studio record The Story Remains. One of the founders keyboardist Philippe Giordana passed away in 2022 – leaving material to be developed, as newer members would enter the fold. The quintet contains three new recruits in vocalist Archie Caine, keyboardist Gideon Ricardo, and second guitarist Brieuc de Groof, expanding upon their established style with broader strokes in the bombast orchestration that develops into majestic songs.
The folk-like atmosphere within “A New Dawn” creates spectacular peaks where the musical underpinning and choir passages bring classic Blind Guardian to mind, the layers of keyboards embellish the centuries past textures. Archie’s vocals contain the ideal balance between power metal highs as well as a natural smoothness which should resonate with the majority of listeners – check into his resolute low to mid-range abilities in the progressive-oriented “Hopeless Still” or theatrical versatility during “The Chosen Ones” that will win many over instantly. The balance between keyboards and guitars remains a constant battle given the necessary augmentation that inherently appears for this genre – multi-instrumentalist Willdric Lievin along with Brieuc de Groof serving up all sorts of heavy chord progressions amidst a multitude of transitions during the ten-minute plus “Unbreakable” that veers into Rhapsody (Of Fire) meets Kamelot territory. Meanwhile those who love straight ahead Sonata Arctica-oriented power metal that put the band on the map during the late 90s/early 2000s, look no further than “Karma” to rouse the legions.
Former vocalist Elisa C. Martin (who appeared on the Of Wars in Osyrhia album from 2003) graces the record on the finale “Suffering Ages” – a potent power-oriented track tailor-made for her sophisticated skills, hitting all the notes in an effortless aura while the acoustic supplementation adds a dynamic touch to the energetic mainframe. While it’s been four and a half years between records, the 65-minute running time may exceed many consumers with waning attention spans. No one will fault the sound, production, or tones within this record – the softer parts as easy on the ears as the dense, more musically involved elements. The blue to green hues along with a picturesque island to cloudy, dream-like presence in the cover art properly gives a peak into what prospective listeners can expect when pressing play.
Where will The Story Remains stack up next to the previous discography for Fairyland? This scribe believes it’s a fitting tribute to the work Philippe put forth through his earlier performances – and should make modest impact on the symphonic power metal community. Another record that provides an escape from any daily stress or doldrums standing in your way only to come out refreshed in the end.