By: AvNatten

Posted: Jan 14, 2006

The Swedish power metal force known as The Storyteller have brought forth a new disc of melodic anthems known as "Underworld". Although the band was formed in 1995 and this is the bands fourth album, this is my first encounter with them. Power metal is a difficult genre to create something new and innovative within, The Storyteller put forth a valiant effort but still do not bring nothing new to the realm of power.

There are ten tracks contained on this disc, nine of which are based on Scandinavian folklore and the tenth track is a cover of the classic Motörhead track 'Ace Of Spades'. 'The Fiddler' tells the story of someone who is undoubtedly the devil, he plays his fiddle beautifully to entrance you and then takes your soul. There is some nice sorrowful fiddle playing weaved throughout this track that adds a bit of interest and a folky touch. 'Your Time Has Come' is an acoustic driven ballad that lets vocalist L G Persson convey his emotions through his voice to good effect. Persson's voice is a strength for the band, he is able to add dimension to the music. Guitarists Fredrik Groth and Jacob Wennerqvist often play very rhythmically and deliver some good, catchy riffing spiced with classic sounding lead-work and nice solos. The band is rounded out by bassist Johan Sohlberg and drummer Martin Hjerpe, all play well together, each instrument can be heard clearly but sounds too typical of the genre though there is definitely a heap of talent within The Storyteller.

The 'Ace Of Spades Cover' is fairly close to the original with L G even putting a bit of roughness in his voice. Interesting to see that a power metal band has chosen to cover the song. This album contains all the ingredients of good power metal; soaring vocals, staccato riffing, melodic solos, catchy choruses, plus a touch of folk. Power metal diehards will enjoy it for sure, in the future hopefully The Storyteller can add more of their own elements and nuances to their sound, if they can they will undoubtedly have a bright future ahead of them.

Rating: 6/10

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