• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

With so much fanfare (and rightfully so) about Kamelot, I thought that I should do a review about the first band that Roy Khan was involved in. Conception was a very young band hailing from Norway featuring the singer in his first appearance ever on a record. Now, if you are expecting Kamelot, you’ll be in for a big surprise because they don’t have those orchestral elements. Conception play a brand of ripping Progressive Power Metal that has a lot of variety.

But enough comparisons, I want to write about why this band and album is so awesome. First, the voice of Roy Khan is very smooth and enchanting even this early is his career, making every song memorable; this is especially true in the title track. Second, the rhythm session formed by Ingar Amlien on bass and Arve Heimdal on the drums. Those two guys keep everything unified and once in a while they take center stage. This leads to what it is to me the star of the show: guitarist Tore Østby. The guy plays at an outstanding level, easily rivaling the best in the world. Not only is he a master of the electric guitar but his acoustic sessions on the record are equally as beautiful.

Now, you can have as many great musicians as you like, but if you can’t write a song you’ll sound dull and boring. Luckily these guys are gifted songwriters (especially Tore Østby), combining powerful riffs and solos with extremely good lyrics. Each song on this record has unbelievable amount of good choruses that you’ll remember for hours. The Last Sunset contains a fair numbers of mid to fast-paced songs like "Building Up a Force", extremely good ballads in the title track and "Bowed Down with Sorrow" and a great buildup in the epic "Among the Gods".

This band is so much more than Roy Khan and it’s a crime that they are so underrated. With The Last Sunset, Conception have created a perfect album worthy of being recognized as a masterpiece. There are no faults in this record whatsoever, and it is a must have for Progressive Power Metal fans.