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A lot has already been said about Swedish Power Metal prodigies Persuader, so I won't bore you with the details. Basically, the band's 2000 debut The Hunter was a sledgehammer assault to the senses; a behemoth of pure, unadulterated steel that slayed, slayed, and again, slayed. A smooth follow up in the gritty Evolution Purgatory led us to 2005's glorious When Eden Burns, the album that saw Persuader really grow into fledgling masters of their craft, proving that when it comes to German-styled Blind Guardian-worship, there's no one better than Jens Carlsson and crew. Except of course for Savage Circus, the extension of old school BG that came about as a result of this album, the band's first collaboration between the aforementioned vocalist, guitarist Emil Norberg and Iron Savior mastermind Piet Sielck.

From the barbaric opening bars of high octane stomper "Twisted Eyes" it is obvious that Persuader have underwent a serious facelift since the Evolution... days, with Carlsson's piercing rasp resembling Hansi Kursch more than ever, his immense backing choirs taking presence over the gang shouts of old, the guitar work being less thrashy and more lead based, and the song structures following the same progressive formula that seeped latter day BG releases. Extremely tuneful without sacrificing too much of their nascent grit, songs like "Sending You Back", "The Return", "Slaves of Labour" and the hyper-melodic "RS Knights" ... which emulates the BG soundscape so precisely I'm surprised a lawsuit isn't on the cards – make When Eden Burns a very listenable Power Metal record that offers more twists and turns than most, but fails to capture the rush and excitement of their earlier releases. Still, with a production slicker than a high-flying realtor, When Eden Burns remains a quality product from a band that have big, and I mean big things in their future.