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Heavenward is a German Power Metal band formed back in the mid-80s. After a couple of demos in the late 80s and two full-length albums in the early 90s, they faded from the scene, most likely another innocent (or not) victim of the grunge movement. Or maybe they never left – the promo material from their new label, Pure Underground, doesn't make that clear. Either way, Within These Dreams is a re-release of their 1991 debut album and includes one new song ("System Going Down") and four songs from their 1989 demo, At First Nature.

This new version is alleged to be re-mastered and if that is the case, I'd hate to hear the original. The sound is very spotty, even for something recorded in 1991. The vocals are occasionally flat, especially on the high notes, the volume isn't always consistent and the whole album has a thin sound. The songwriting is as uneven as the production and several of the songs sound like they were under-rehearsed or slapped together at the time of the recording. There are a few decent Power Metal songs, like "The Sky" and "Their Eyes," which move along smartly, propelled by double-kick drums, while "System Going Down" has a nice, gritty Thrash riff, but as a whole, the album is underwhelming.

Despite what the label says, this isn't melodic Power Metal, it's crunchy US Power Metal all the way. Fans of Vicious Rumors and early Helstar will appreciate what Heavenward were shooting for back in 1991, but it won't replace Digital Dictator or Nosferatu any time soon.