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Last Empire is listed on Metal-Archives as a Progressive/Power Metal band, having read that I imagined that this would sound like Symphony X or something like that. I also read the review of their debut on this site and I was thinking that this record would have the same defects. Now, if I am going to take that review as a starting reference point, I'll say that this record is a big improvement.

I haven't heard the debut so I can't compare first hand which is better. But when I listened to Heir to the Throne for the first time, the impression that I got was of a solid Power Metal album. This record displays a ton of good ideas and for the most part they succeed, especially on "The Edge of Doom" which is the weirdest track here because it uses acoustic guitars instead of electric ones, creating a very cool effect. Speaking of which, the guitars here are very well played, especially the insanely catchy solos. Other highlights include "Secrecy", "Enemy" and "The Falconer".

Not everything is gold though: the title track, while good, could have been better. The vocals takes time to get used to as the singer sometimes struggles to hit the high notes. He also employs rough and harsh vocals in some instances and while they are not bad I could have lived without them. The bass is not loud enough and I would have preferred the drums to have a thicker sound.

Despite the weaknesses found here, Heir to the Throne is a solid album. With the exception of "The Edge of Doom" there is nothing here that you haven't heard before. In the end this is not a groundbreaking masterpiece but it is a gratifying album that I can fully recommend for fans of the genre.