Following his departure from his keyboard duties in DragonHeart (now known as DragonForce), Steve Williams forged ahead and formed Power Quest in 2001. The band has had so many line-up changes since their humble beginnings but it appears that Steve is still carrying on with again two new faces; Ashley Edison on vocals and Gavin Owen‘s twin Dan Owen on guitars. Twin guitars, literally!
It has been many long years since I’ve actively listened to this band; I believe I’ve mostly acquainted myself with their first 3 albums. I could not pass up the opportunity to find out what’s become of Power Quest‘s sound when their latest, Face The Raven appeared in our catalog. Much to my surprise and despite not having listened to this band in recent years, I was not at all alienated by this EP. The track “Coming Home (Sacred Land II)” is the sort of familiar sound that precisely bring Power Quest to my mind. It is an obvious nod to their roots, specifically to their 2003 album, “Neverworld“. Having said that, the track “Face The Raven” shows the most promising surprise, the punch and grit of this EP. It is a clear representation of the refreshing and revitalized sound of the new, bold, yet darker aura of the band which, hopefully, is an indication of what is to come on the full release.
I can only judge with mere three songs but the heaviness of the keyboards go amiss for me; The songs are a bit shy of them as well as the Castlevania-esque sounds that once emitted from them. The flow of the songs overall is slower and more straight to the point than the Power Quest I remember. I still enjoyed the twin guitar attacks, however, and I am curious to hear more of their newfound sound. Ashley Edison‘s addition as Power Quest‘s new singer is a definitely a positive aspect on this album. He makes the otherwise clear cut heavy metal songs sound more vibrant which reinforces the new direction of the band.
It is not always unusual to have an admiration for the old and the new. This is one of those great instances in which, a band does not persist in remaining unchanged. Being mindful that they’ve explored the same territory for years and years, it seems they are not at odds with reframing their listeners’ experiences in new worlds, or so I argue.
Tracklist:
01 – Face the Raven
02 – Coming Home (Sacred Land II)
03 – Blood Alliance (2016 mix)
Playing time: 19:15
Release date: 10 September 2016
Label: Independent
Website: Homepage
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