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Third time's a charm! "Tales of A Holy Quest" is a defiant and very involving album from these Swedish metallers. There are plenty of happy 'tra-la-la-la' power metal numbers on here, but there are some bands that can get away with this. The Storyteller are one of them. Mixing generic power metal with straight up heavy metal, "Holy Quest" is a symbol of hope that the sun has not yet set on power metal. Not without a fight anyway!

There is nothing here that we have not heard before, but there is that extra crunch and hook in this album that not many seem to be able to do at this present time. A lot of Blind Guardian influences. Demons & Wizards comparisons wouldn't be too far fetched either as there are the grand vocals and epic musical stylings very reminiscent of the aforementioned. But don't pick this up thinking this is pure power metal all around. While the cover and the band name sound too clichéd and there is way too much double bass abuse on "Tales of A Holy Quest", there are also numerous traditional heavy metal parts to it as well, with crunchy riffs, slow distortion, and shout along heavy metal choruses.

Good production and very good music, but one that will only cater to the tastes of power metal fans despite the heavy metal influences here and there. Don't go in expecting Paragon or Manowar though. This is not power metal style lyrics mixed with heavy metal in the vein of those two bands. The vocals particularly are quite distinguishable and are epic and grandiose, and the music goes along very well with this.

Stand out tracks include the fast-paced "Conviction", The Demons & Wizards tribute song "Seed of Lies" (it's not really a tribute to them, but it could very well have been on that album), the simple heavy metal kickers "Holy Quest" and "Chamber Of Torture" (Badass chorus, shrieks and laughs) and the fantastic acoustic ballad "When All Hope Has Faded." This is indeed a praiseworthy effort by the Swedes and no doubt will be a precious addition to a power metaller's collection.