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I remember waiting eagerly for this to come in at my local record store. I was desperate to find out how The Storyteller would follow up such a sublime debut release, and somehow they managed to outdo themselves with the fantastic Crossroad. The narrative picks up directly where the last album left off, and without preamble we are thrust back into their ancient fantasy world. Little changed in the two years that separated the releases; the material is just as strong here as on the debut, and if anything the songs sound even better, thanks to the Studio Fredman production. L-G Persson sings his heart out during "The Unknown" and "The Eye Of The Storm", going for a higher register which he'd gotten the hang of by this time. The pace was increased somewhat, giving the slower songs more meat, turning them from bard-esque ballads into mid-paced chops of metal. Due to the dramatic events depicted in the lyrics, there is a darker element to Crossroad, making it less immediate and more panoramic than its predecessor.

"Ambush" takes the crown as the best song on here, with its pumping double-bass and trem-picked guitar lines, but the title track is seriously impressive, too. Despite acts like HammerFall, Edguy, and Rhapsody making waves, Crossroad still feels original to me, mostly due to Persson's passionate vocals. It remains an uplifting end to the two albums that made The Storyteller such a special act in Power Metal's history. After this, they went on to create albums which explored darker themes, but their legacy will always live on in the majesty of their first creations.