Cinematic and epic melodic power metal from Indonesia - A review of Pridelander's Knight of the Prideland

Knight of the Prideland is the first full length effort of Indonesian melodic power metal sextet Pridelander. The album features five tunes with a total length of thirty-four minutes. This means that the songs are on average seven and a half minutes long.

Just as the preceding extended play Find Your Pride Back, this album revolves around high-pitched but organic and smooth clean vocals, melodic guitar play and atmospheric keyboard passages. The production sounds much better this time around since the vibrant bass guitar can be heard at specific moments throughout the album. The songwriting has improved as well thanks to more varied drum techniques and a more playful use of the keyboards. Fans of Bonfire, Freedom Call and Helloween's material in the late eighties and early nineties should certainly appreciate some of the songs here. ''The Land of Best Friendship'' opens with positive vibes and epic song writing as it summarizes the band's strengths very well and can be considered this record's highlight.

While this release is a step forward for the band, there are still some flaws that need to be pointed out. Some songs overstay their welcome with lengths of almost nine minutes and multiple repetitive passages. This album is certainly lacking some oomph and speed. A short, fast and aggressive tune in between all the epic tracks would have made for a more fluid listening experience. The shortest song ''You're Not Alone'' is excessively sappy despite inspired keyboard sounds and a decent vocal performance because there is an absence of bass, drums and guitars to add some energy.

In the end, Pridelander's Knight of the Prideland is a significant step forward for the Indonesian melodic power metal sextet. The song writing has improved, the keyboards are particularly creative, the rhythm section has increased its presence and the passionate vocals sound truly unique. There are only three things to modify for the band on its path to power metal majesty. It needs to write more concise and short tunes. There should be a few heavier and faster tracks to balance the epic and mellow tunes. Most importantly, the band should avoid playing fluffy ballads that would rather fit on the soundtrack of a Disney movie than a power metal record.

Final rating: 73%