• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

With all the fuckery that Freedom Call has been slavishly engaging in these days, it's easy to forget that they were once a pretty good band, pushing out great albums like this one. Eternity was their third album, and while basically all it does is shamelessly rip off 80s Helloween, I find it quite enjoyable. It is good shameless ripping-off, done with a lot of class and heart, and a whole lot of youthful energy to boot. This was Freedom Call's musical peak, and although they had more creativity before this, I actually think this is one of the very best "feel good" Power Metal albums ever penned down. Just stellar all around. But enough about that, let's dig into the music itself:

Eternity is crafted from a very typical and generic Power Metal base, offering absolutely nothing new or fresh to the genre except a collection of great songs, and if a band can do that right, then they at least have some talent, I say. The album pretty much runs through all of the stereotypes, with big, mid-paced anthems, speedy, double-bass-driven kickers, ballads and the whole deal. The reason this is such a good album is that Freedom Call are just doing what they do best; peddling out enjoyable and high-flying Power Metal with enough charisma and energy to rock the entire world if they tried. Everything just sort of fits into place, with no real clinkers at all - even the closing ballad "Turn Back Time" is a steady grower!

There's just no shortage of great songs on here. The opening "Metal Invasion" isn't amazing, but it sets the mood and grooves mightily with a choir-infested romp that will whisk you away to a land of dragons and rings and spells like no other. "Flying High" and "Ages of Power" are the fastest songs on here, with chorus hooks that will knock your teeth out, and then the catchy "Land of Light" is just a lot of fun, a real spirit lifter if there ever was one. All of these songs are about as addictive as caffeine, and just as energizing and motivating, too, although they might not burn you out after the effect wears off. "Bleeding Heart" is a very nice ballad, with some great hooks and shamelessly 80s-like synths and melodies, but the real good stuff comes later on.

Just listen to "Flame in the Night," with its atmospheric keys and huge, hymn-like chorus - stellar! And how about "Island of Dreams"? This song kills, with one of the best, most triumphant Power Metal choruses ever, and that is saying a lot. Just listen to that great hook, how it soars right up to the clouds and then settles there, matching the sun with its radiance. "Eyes of the World" is a riveting, colorful jaunt with a truly mesmerizing hook, and then "Warriors" takes the prize for best on here, I think, as it is by far the catchiest, and that anthemic feel really brings it up a notch. The completely awesome choir chant in the middle really seals the deal, too; it's just something you'll have to hear to witness. Freedom Call didn't really do anything groundbreaking here, but they did make an enjoyable album that I find myself coming back to again and again, and for that I can recommend it wholeheartedly.