Lovebites - Outstanding Power (2026)Release ID: 66577
The brand-new 5th album by Lovebites was released on the year of their 10th anniversary. To summarize their decade of activity, their Euro-infused power metal sound is some of the best I've heard in the genre, and the best is in their era with ex-bassist Miho, especially their debut Awakening from Abyss and the EP Battle Against Damnation. The two albums that make up their new era with current bassist Fami can't reach the incredible epicness of their earlier material, but they still deserve their high marks. In fact, I would say Outstanding Power is almost near that 5-star perfection, being more consistent than Judgement Day and trying some things new and unique. Newique!
For starters, Oustanding Power has a darker sound with some slight restraint. That being said, Midori and Miyako are still on fire with their guitar shredding. Haruna hits her drums with all that strength and power. And we can't forget the soulful siren-esque vocals of Asami. She seems to be going for more of a mid-range style of singing, rather than her upper highs of yesteryear. That's good because there's more variation in her melody, and less chances of straining her voice before more of their live shows.
Here we start with "The Castaway", which shows the fantastic direction in their power metal sound. If "Addicted" is "Shadowmaker 2.0", then we've just gotten "Shadowmaker 3.0", and a more melancholic highlight at that! "Silence the Void" adds some awesome thrashiness to their power metal. "Forbidden Thirst" continues that with more melody. Some surprises come up in "Blazing Halo" which is a rather mixed track. It's the first song written by Fami and the first to be under 4 minutes. While the arrangement doesn't seem the best, I enjoy it after listening for some time.
Heaviness and melody combine in the pleasant standout "Dream of King". Now I enjoy upbeat songs, but "Phoenix Rises Again" seems a little oddly written and sounds like it could better performed live than in studio. "Out of Control" is quite strong in the riffing and chorus, working well with its rock-on sound. Some bits of the uplifting power metal of Helloween and DragonForce can be heard in "Wheels on Fire", but it's closer to classic hard rock/metal territory than anything else here.
"The Eve of Change" brings back the power metal side of Lovebites that they're able to execute greatly. The best part of their sound when they really crank up the thrash vibes, as heard in "Reaper’s Lullaby". This is probably the fastest, most extreme song Lovebites has done! A top-3 song for this album, though it would be surpassed one more song at the end. But before that is the overlong Asami-written ballad "Eternally". It's not bad though a little too soft for an over 7-minute epic. Closing things off is "One Will Remain" which is total DragonForce-esque power metal perfection. Even the closing tracks of Awakening from Abyss and Judgement Day can't beat that diamond gem!
Outstanding Power continues the path of resurrection started in Judgement Day. Even without the songwriting and bass skills of Miho, there's still hope for the band to carry on into their second decade. Outstanding Power is slightly better and more consistent, with the highlights here being potential live staples. I can definitely predict some compositional expansion in the near future. You up for female power metal without symphonics? Then don't miss out on this outstanding band of metal heroines!
Favorites: "The Castaway", "Silence the Void", "Dream of King", "Out of Control", "Reaper's Lullaby", "One Will Remain"
