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Alestorm singer/keyboardist Christopher Bowes has decided to branch out from his Scottish Pirate Metal base with, wait for it, Scottish Symphonic Power Metal. OK, he didn't really branch out that far. Regardless, Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is just the sort of catchy, overblown cheese-fest fans of Power Metal, like myself, can't get enough of. Bowes and his band Gloryhammer hit the nail on the head with just about every aspect of Tales from the Kingdom of Fife. There's a great balance between speedy, double-kick numbers and slower, anthemic tracks. Even the ballad, "Silent Tears of Frozen Princess," isn't bad enough that you have to skip it. Singer Thomas Winkler (Emerald) has a great voice for this stuff and doesn't try to overdo it with a lot of falsetto screams. Guitars are the dominant instrument, despite Bowes being a keyboard player, though he gets plenty of licks in. Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is on the heavier side of the Power Metal spectrum with choruses that will insinuate themselves into your unconscious. Gloryhammer are a band all fans of early Rhapsody, Blind Guardian, Ancient Bards, etc. will be sorry if they pass up.