• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Marius Danielsen and his brother Peter created an interesting world and, between this and their other act Eunomia, have been releasing parts of a fantastic tale à la Aldaria and—of course—early Avantasia, but with a heavier approach. Part 2 stars guest musicians such as Mathias Blad (Falconer), Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon, Harmony), Michael Kiske and Blaze Bayley, and the emotional, opulent atmosphere is carefully built to feature each of the different voices, guest guitarists' styles and overall instrumental.

The production value here is way above average, which helps the whole experience reach quite a few peaks during its course, like the amazing mid-tempo semi-ballad "Tower of Knowledge" and the epic operatic ending with "We Stand Together". From the sorrowful beginning on "King Thorgan's Hymn" to the cliffhangers left in the story throughout the album, the songwriting is very decent and the execution is top-notch.

Albeit different from Part 1, which is more melodic and straightforward, this album has slightly more nuances and colors, a great deal of it due to the number of special guests. The Danielsen brothers are succeeding in becoming relevant with an (not so) original story full of rich elements and some straight-up awesome Euro-Power moments. If you enjoy epic tales and quality Power Metal, you should definitely check this out.