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Dawn of Reckoning is the third full-length from Germany's Eternal Reign and my first exposure to them. It is a solid Power Metal offering with just a hint of Progressive Metal hovering around the edges of many of the songs. Eternal Reign doesn't seem to be concerned with changing the face of Power Metal by pushing the envelope in any way. They seem content to write standard (read: sound like any number of other Power Metal bands) songs. They are played at the requisite level of technical expertise that is expected of performers in the Power Metal field.

I really can't pick any standout tracks from Dawn of Reckoning as they all sound similar to one another. Eternal Reign, while European, do have a US Power Metal component to their sound, thanks, in large part, to singer Dirk Stühmer. He bears more than a passing resemblance to Tim "Ripper" Owens in his range and delivery. This gives the band a noticeable Glorious Burden-era Iced Earth sound. Stühmer is a good singer, but, for some reason, his voice just didn't click with me, and that made the album somewhat less enjoyable. His best performance is on the closing ballad "Still Remains," where his voice enhances the emotion of the song quite a bit. The rest of the band members are competent musicians, but none does anything to make any of the songs jump out at you. Production is sharp and clear, typical of the genre.

I don't hate Dawn of Reckoning, but I don't love it either. There's just not enough on here to make me want to go back and listen again and again. The songs are just OK and Stühmer's vocals seem a bit one dimensional, and that holds them back as well. There are plenty of Power Metal riffs and runs on the guitars, supporting keyboards, and somewhat catchy choruses, but none very memorable. You can certainly do worse than Dawn of Reckoning, but in the crowded field of Power Metal, you can almost certainly do better.