Amberian Dawn – Innuendo (2015)

Releasing nearly an album per year since 2008, today we have Amberian Dawn and their latest opus “Innuendo”. These highly productive Fins deliver ten brilliantly crafted Symphonic Power Metal tracks that will appeal both traditional Power Metal and Gothic/Symphonic Metal fans alike. Having quickly moved on from replacing their original iconic vocalist, Päivi Virkkunen vocals are a very interesting mixture of Doro-meets-Timo Kotipelto.

Quickly opening with the intense “Fame & Gloria”, we are taking into a very balanced world of Nightwish-meets-Sonata Arctica, with the solid guitar works and Päivi’s angelic but powerful vocals. Seamlessly integrating lush atmospheric elements into the music, the band delivers songs like “Ladyhawk” and “Innuendo”, both of which will keep you headbanging from start to finish. If you like more Symphonic/Gothic Metal things, tracks like “The Court of Mirror Hall” and the ballad “Aneglique” have less dominant Power Metal vibe, but are still within the band’s comfort zone.

In terms of our favorite songs, “Rise of Evil” and its moody tempo changes is one of the best and most diverse tracks in this release. Another excellent song is the Power Metal anthem “Chamber of Dreadful Dreams” with its solid guitar work and keyboard solos. After a few more bombastic tracks, the band closes this with the very mellow and magical “Your Time – My Time”, showcasing Päivi’s great vocal talents, and the band’s excellent song writing skills.

As a whole, “Innuendo” showcases a more evolved and refined Amberian Dawn. The band has honed in their sound and they are just perfecting it over time. Filled with lush orchestral and string arrangements, the ten tracks presented in this release demonstrate that you can still be heavy and play Power Metal without overpowering it with symphonic elements. If you like anything from Nightwish to Sonata Arctica to Rhapsody of Fire, this is one album you can’t miss.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: October 23rd, 2015

Genre: Symphonic Power Metal

Country: Finland