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The night is young and so is the spirit of the guys from Royal Jester. Unlike the majority of bands vying for the crown of metal, Royal Jester is all about speed, ignited by their high-powered energy. Most of the material on their debut, Night is Young is of the double-bass drum variety. With their speediness, points of reference include Euro Power Metal legends like old Helloween, Gamma Ray, Freedom Call, old Edguy, Domine, Avantasia and countless other speedsters. Trust me when I tell you that enjoyment is guaranteed.

One of the strongest points of Night is Young is its fluidity. As Speed/Power Metal goes, there are no stop signs along the way. Speed is the guide. The well-known melodies of the late 80s/early 90s make for some memorable music. It is fun to hear, kind of cheerful at times, heavier at others, although not overly so, with smooth vocals (like velvet) and all the rest. You know the story.

Overall, Night is Young is a very easy album to like. It has everything a Power Metal fan desires. In addition, the tunes are catchy enough to make them easily memorable. On the other hand, Night is Young joins a rather large group of recordings that sound much like each other. While impressive and all, it is scarcely innovative. As good as Royal Jester is, they don't have anything different to say.

You might say Royal Jester represents a new generation of Power Metal. However, after 45 minutes, you also might say "this band is too similar to Gamma Ray or Helloween." Without a doubt, this band stuck to the better side of Power Metal (i.e. the German side). Nevertheless, redoing the classics, as well as they have done, is not going to make for a classic album. Night is Young is powerful, energetic and fun to play over and over, yet remains just another Power Metal album.

Royal Jester is an impressive group that gives a great performance on their debut. They have a great sound and catchy tunes. Songs like "Night is Young," "Vile Smile," "The New Order," "Wings of Tomorrow" and "If You Were Mine" are some of the better examples of what Royal Jester are capable of. Here's hoping the band will gather its talents and continue in this style of music, but perhaps with some new ideas of their own. Let the jester laugh again soon.