EXCALION „Primal Exhale”

'Excalion' is a new power metal band from Finland in the same vein as Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica.
The band was formed by keyboard player Jarmo “Jappe” Myllyvirta in Konnevesi, Finland in December 2000. Joining him, drummer Henri Pirkkalainen, bassist Timo Sahlberg and guitarist Tero Vaaja. Gathering in a tiny rehearsal room, they focused on the musical style of Melodic Power Metal which mixes heavy guitars and symphonic keys.

The band played their first gig in May 2001 at Työväentalo in Konnevesi, the performance provided very little to be excited about. The band realized then that if they were going to make music with more variety and personality, they would need another guitarist. Enter Kimmo Hänninen, former member of Slave Of Wisdom, joined 'Excaliion' and with him came a lot of musical and technical knowledge.

'Excalion' plays energetic, crunchy power metal. If you are looking for catchy, upbeat music with strong choruses,
look no further. The song writing on this release is competent but not amazing and yet the riffs are quite enjoyable, 'Excalion' also keeps up a quick tempo, but isn't frantic compared to material put out by a number of their of other bands in the same genre.

The songs are heavy on the keys, which often elicits a strong positive or negative response from listeners.
Regretfully the band does occasionally abandon an excellent riff all too soon in favor of more bombastic territory.

An excellent singer is a pre-requisite when it comes to good power metal, and 'Excalion' deliver the goods.
Their vocalist sounds a lot like the singer from 'Sonata Arctica', and that's a good thing! The music doesn't fall short in the technical areas either, and most of the solos absolutely shred. The drummer is very skilled, though he does it tastefully without overpowering the song. In addition the guitars could have a bit more crunch although the mix is very balanced and very enjoyable.

The group is comprised of Jarmo Pääkkönen on vocals, Jarmo Myllyvirta playing keyboards, Henri Pirkkalainen drummer, Tero Vaaja guitarist, Kimmo Hänninen guitarist and Timo Sahlberg on the bass. Their debut CD, 'Primal Exhale', features 9 songs of power metal excellence. The band proves more than adequate in their abilities,
being a fairly new band they bring a few creative ideas to the table.

You can hear the bands influences on each song on 'Primal Exhale'. Vocalist Jarmo Pääkkönen's voice is reminiscent of Ted Pilot who fronted the legendary 80's progressive metal group 'Fifth Angel' and that's a grand comparison since 'Fifth Angel' could be credited as helping to pioneer the 80's progressive metal sound. Jarmo is comfortable singing within a mid-range style and has the strength to reach for that higher range when he needs to.

“Primal exhale” is performed with class and will appeal to all power metal fans! One of the better tracks here is the mighty ballad “Heart and Home”. The 3rd track, “Reality bends”, stands out as one of the most memorable songs of
the album and if they can write more of the same in the future, this band will go far.

In conclusion, this is a solid debut release from 'Excalion'. It certainly gives the group a solid foundation to build their musical career upon. As they tour and continue to write new songs this band will need to work on building a unique identity musically.

note: 7.5/10

Tracklist

Temptation Wasteland
A Moment In The Spotlight
Reality Bends
Dire Waters
Stage Of Lies
Heart & Home
Megalomania
My Legacy
Obsession To Prosper

Line-up

Jarmo Pääkkönen – Vocals
Jarmo Myllyvirta – Keyboards
Henri Pirkkalainen – Drums
Tero Vaaja – Guitar
Kimmo Hänninen – Guitar
Timo Sahlberg – Guitar