Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Persuader - When Eden Burns (2006)

I am not a massive power metal fan, something I may have declared elsewhere in other reviews or forum threads on Metal Academy.  Beyond (some) Blind Guardian albums I struggle to find much in the way of entertainment from the genre.  A lot of this is down to a lack of any real aggression or actual power (pun intended) to most albums I listen to.  Sometimes there’s a depth and richness to the songwriting that makes up for it, like with Twilight Force’s Dawn of the Dragonstar for example.  In those instances the balance of cheesy synths and slightly more subdued riffage feels to be acceptable as long as they are held within the confines of epic song structures that deliver power to the tracks in a way other than rhythmic chugs and chops.

Persuader are perhaps one of the first bands I have heard that actually sound like how I always imagined power metal bands should sound.  On When Eden Burns the band delivers a strong and consistent performance, balancing solid songwriting with biting riffs and robust structures that combine elements of the epic power I mentioned above with the sheer power of the instruments in their hands (and the vocal chords in their throats).

I find the vocalist reminds me a lot of Blind Guardian (let’s not forget that band is probably my sole existing reference point for power metal at this stage) which is not a bad thing by any means as there’s enough differentiation on the rest of the sound to show a clear gap between these Swedes and the aforementioned German act.  The other similarity here is with the quality of the musicianship on show, which although doesn’t quite hit the dizzy heights of some of the better work from Blind Guardian, is still proof that when you get a bunch of talented musicians together then real magic can happen.

The album feels rewarding to listen to.  Like the promise of the content behind the artwork is delivered across the whole album and not just on a few standout tracks.  Although it shows variety in pace and tempo the experience is pleasantly intense feeling like you’re being given some power metal workout minus kettle bells and resistance bands.  Not being massively familiar with the band I don’t know how this album measures up to previous releases (or any that may have followed) but I am willing to bet that as I journey through the discography this will prove to be one of the stronger releases I find.