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Female-fronted Power Metal is certainly a tricky one, with only a handful of notable acts (Nightwish, After Forever, Edenbridge). 9 times out of 10 a band will be branded a Nightwish clone, catapulting them straight into obscurity and bargain bins everywhere. I could well see a similar effect befalling Romania's Magica, which would be unjust. True, they wear their Nightwish influence on their sleeves, but they do it so damn well. Already having three releases (which I've yet to hear) under their collective belts, album number four Wolves and Witches has certainly had its wicked way with me. Magica ooze charm and exert fantastic melodies, leaving me dazzled as their music breezes over me. Somewhat of a concept album, Wolves and Witches has a uniting theme detailing fantastical creatures from Romanian folklore. Be it "Maiastra" about the fantasy bird or the "Zmeu" – a monster with superhuman strength, the lyrical content should satisfy fantasy and folklore fans alike.

Of course the main thing here is the music. As previously stated, Magica certainly remind of a youthful Nightwish with albums such as Wishmaster and Oceanborn springing to mind. However Magica don't model their sound purely through Nightwish plagiarism; they simply take the sound Nightwish had popularized at the turn of the century, and build on it. "Don't Wanna Kill" opens up with a kick ass riff, damn melodic stuff. Singer Ana Mladinovici really is the star of the show here, strangely sounding like a perfect splice up of Anette Olzon and Tarja Turunen (I need to stop with the Nightwish references). Each chorus displayed on Wolves and Witches has been meticulously crafted with a firm goal of cementing it in your mind, especially "Hold On Tight" which is certainly the finest track here - the main melody is stunning. For those who like a little speed, we have the awesome "Hurry Up Ravens" and the ludicrous "Just For 2 Coins" with its hilarious nursery-rhyme lyrics. Magica serve up a very enjoyable disc here. This is happy, bouncy, female-fronted Power Metal at its finest. Fans of Nightwish, Edenbridge or Visions of Atlantis should snap this up immediately.