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When this came out, the Power Metal community had a shit fit, as everything about this French act's debut reeked of the late 90s movement which spawned so many sword-waving, dragon-slaying copycats. And it's true; Operadyse sound so much like Rhapsody, Holy Knights, Kaledon, Skylark, Arachnes and a million others it's unreal. So if you're hankering for some of that old fashioned flower metal goodness, this is going to give you a full body orgasm. The rest of you might be harder to persuade.

Considering their country of origin, Operadyse sound immensely Italian. Everything from the high, feminine vocals of frontman Franck Garcia (also of Spheric Universe Experience) to the high-flying keys and fey lyrical topics is identical to the sounds wielded by Rhapsody and co; hell, even the hilarious accent is similar. Only difference is, Operadyse are deadly serious about their craft, and that shines through in the complex arrangements and pure emotion put into the performances. There are some female vocals here and there, some calmer, more cinematic moments, but mostly this is double-bass led, keyboard-heavy, sugary Power Metal with song titles like "Unfold Legend", "Celestial Sword" and my favorite, "Fairies' Secret Garden". As you'd imagine, there are a lot of jovial melodies and silly vocals to be heard, but the thing about Pandemonium is that despite all of this, the mood is extremely wistful, making you nostalgic for something that has been and gone.

A lot of work has gone into the making of this album, and that dedication pays off on the whole. It's lacking in hooks, and leaves a strangely sad aftertaste, but fans of melodic and symphonic Power Metal will get their rocks off to it, provided the ludicrous lyrics don't turn you away.