A Crisp Return to the Power Metal Roots - A Review of Arion's The Light That Burns the Sky

Arion is a power metal quintet hailing from Helsinki that proves that there is still conviction, promise and strength in this genre in a time when most genre leaders like Avantasia, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius are releasing unconvincing efforts that fail to leave a mark. The Light That Burns the Sky is the band's fourth full length effort and the record's excellent musicianship proves how tightly these five artists have grown together.

After a brief atmospheric overture entitled "The Darkest Day", this power metal album kicks off as it should with dynamic, enthusiastic and fast title track "The Light That Burns the Sky" that genuinely represents this album's creativity, drive and energy. This song should give any listener an accurate idea whether this album deserves to be explored in depth.

If you decide to do so indeed, numerous other highlights follow soon after. "Like the Phoenix I Will Rise" combines the speed of the opening anthem with some catchy hooks that make for a perfect single candidate and a strong song that deserves to be sung along to by an enthusiastic crowd in concerts for many years to come.

"Wings of Twilight" features guest vocalist Melissa Bonny of Swiss symphonic metal band Ad Infinitum who has been rising to fame in the genre throughout the past few years. While many power metal duets tend to be sappy ballads for lonesome masturbators living in the basement of their parents' residence, this song here instead oozes with atmosphere, concept and diversity as this track manages to grow with every spin.

"Blasphemous Paradise" deserves to be mentioned as a highlight in the record's second half that oozes with tight musicianship, crisp production and precise songwriting underlining the musicians' numerous talents such as energetic drum play, aggressive bass guitar chords, fast and melodious guitar play and vocals finding the perfect balance between grit and melody throughout. It's great to deliver such a ferocious kick in the guts so late in this record to prove that this band is serious about its business.

A final highlight is closing epic "Into the Hands of Fate" that doesn't overstay its welcome but offers fantastic storytelling in just below seven minutes. This song proves that one doesn't need to stretch tunes to double digit lengths to sound ambitious as the same result can be achieved in half that time. This excellent closure once again underlines the band's great songwriting skills.

Here's hope that the band keeps this fresh identity and refrains from ambitious conceptual records, overlong epics in five parts or progressive instrumental tunes pleasing a handful of introverted college students. So many bands have been doing such things time and again. What the genre needs is a focused return to its roots with crisp, fast and melodic songs around the four-minute mark and this is exactly what you will be getting on Arion's The Light That Burns the Sky.