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Female-fronted Traditional Metal in the vein of Crystal Viper and Triosphere is the style Belgium's Nightqueen have opted for. Singer Laura Asikainen has a powerful, slightly gruff voice that isn't operatic in the least, so no worries about this drifting into Gothic Metal territory. For Queen and Metal, the band's debut, has some definite Power Metal leanings due to the presence of Conquest-style keyboards. To be honest, they are a bit overused and I would have preferred them mixed further back, giving the guitars a little more of the spotlight. The album starts with a few double-kick tracks in "Nightfall" and "Mystical Nights," songs that show off a lot of energy. For Queen and Metal then settles in to a mid-paced groove for several songs, and while good, they aren't very noteworthy. The performances are a bit stiff. It's only when Nightqueen gets back to the Power Metal style on "Screaming for Mercy" that things come back to life a bit. "Dark Fairy," at eight minutes, is an epic closer with a sweeping chorus.

For Queen and Metal is generally quite good, if uneven, and portends good things for Nightqueen. A little more polish on the songs and performances is all that is needed.