the melodic heavy/power metal of Excalion (Finland)

It took a very long time for the new Excalion music to see the light of day—and we can all guess the thousand reasons why this is the first new music since 2010—but fans of heavy rock in the form of melodic traditional heavy metal and power metal should find the album pleasing. Unfortunately, we don't have a link to the full album, but if you visit the band's page, you can hear a new song that they made a lyric video for. They play something along the lines adult contemporary melodic metal. It's abundant in melodic and catchy moments, while generally keeping the heaviness level light. The singing is not very high and it's not "we are more metal than you!" and that type gung-ho style. Is it heavy metal for parents? Maybe! You might be able to play this band in the office, if you keep the volume low, and that way you can tune out the muzak that they play where you work. In fact, Excalion, you could say, is simply uptempo guitar-focused hard rock with good singing and mature lyrics. If you don't care about the issue of genre, and just want melodic rock songs, then the band could be a good discovery for you. The new incarnation of Excalion sounds very ready for the fans of melodic metal to welcome them back. The Finns were gone for a while, but they return with a quality album for sure. --MMB

Excalion

Dream Alive

Scarlet Records

release: 7 July 2017

Excalion truly shows what shedding skin means. With a vibrant, aggressive, fast yet melodic new album, Dream Alive, Excalion steers to the forefront of Finnish Melodic Metal bands. The album builds on the storyline that was established with the ‘Centenarian’ single (available through Spotify and iTunes), telling about a modern escapist who lives both the past and present, crafting his own realities. ‘Dream Alive’ takes you through this journey, welcoming you through the pathways of the new century with stories that will not escape your mind. Excalion’s new line-up combines the powerful vocals of Marcus Lång with the strong compositions of Jarmo Myllyvirta, setting the scene for the band’s signature arrangements, tight rhythms and flawless soloing. The album was mixed by Tuomas Kokko at Electric Fox studio (Trio Niskalaukaus, Ghost Brigade) and mastered by Brett-Caldas Lima at Tower Studio (Ayreon, Adagio). The outstanding artwork that captures the storyline of the album was created by a rising star from Poland, Piotr Szafraniec.

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