Aldaria - Land of Light (2017)

Just when we thought the metal opera genre is slowing down, here the new supergroup ALDARIA with their metal opera album Land of Light. Aldaria kind of marked a new wave of power metal band by bringing mostly new army on his belt. The project was initiated and created by Frode Hovd from Norway band, Memorized Dreams. The line up musicians included Roland Grapow, who produced the album. Names such as Mike LePond, Fabio Lione, Uli Kusch, Rob Lungren were listed. However when names such as PelleK, Tommy ReinXeed, Yannis Papadopoulos, Sigfried Samer and so on appeared, this is the other side of power metal forces that screaming to be heard in a project like metal opera.

Land of Light is a metal opera album, the concept are crystal clear in their website :

In the year 1247 AD, there was found an ancient scroll deep within a tomb below what once was the glorious city of Babylon. The scroll was believed to be written by our Creator Himself, describing a world yet unknown to mankind. These scrolls have, until this day, been kept hidden and locked up, deep within hallways below Rome.  

 The gospel speaks of Aldaria, a place and dimension between Heaven & Hell where the fallen are reborn as angels, and where the sinners come to be redeemed or forever banished to Hell.  Today we learn about these stories, the foundation of our existence, as there are signs of a darker time ahead. Reports from all around the world talk about torn and slain angels falling from the sky, each with a common warning: The darkness has found a way into Aldaria, where the Key to enter the Gates of Heaven has been hidden since beginning of time.   .... and so on

With that premises, we got an album that strictly followed what a traditional metal opera album should be. We got "Excitare Ad Lucem" as the intro, a Latinesque opening choir. The songs, and the finale that of course lasted ten minutes up, "Land of Light". The whole album is a combo between elements of Avantasia, Rhapsody of Fire, oldies Helloween and Dan Brown.

Aldaria Land of Light brings us the first serious metal opera album in 2017. This album supported by zillions of metal musicians. This album is as power metal as it can be, originality is never really their issue. You will listen tons of familiar riffs, song are quite straight forward. The strongest point in this album is about listening to our favorite singers and musicians working together constructed a story about angels and demons. Come and join the crowd in Land of Light.

Metal Harem class : 7.5/10 

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Aldaria - Land of Light (2017)

01. Excitare Ad Lucem
02. Another Life
03. Guardians of the Light
04. Sands of Time
05. Lost in the Darkness Below
06. Test of Time
07. Trail of Tears
08. Where Reality Ends
09. From the Ashes
10. Answers in a Dream
11. Land of Light

Musicians:
Guitars :
Frode Hovd (Memorized Dreams), Christer Harøy (Divided Multitude), Jimmy Hedlund (Falconer),
Roland Grapow (Masterplan), Eskild Kløften (Divided Multitude) ,Filip Koluš (Signum Regis)

Bass :
Rayner Harøy (Divided Multitude), Mike LePond (Symphony X) , Ronnie König (Signum Regis)
Filip Andel (Within Silence) ,Kenneth Skarsvaag (Memorized Dreams)

Drums :
Andreas Nergård (Nergard), Uli Kusch (ex Helloween), Robert Myrhaug (Memorized Dreams)

Keyboards
Mistheria (Mistheria), Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins)
Gabriels (Gabriels) , Peter Crowley's Fantasy Dream

Vocals:
Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire), Todd Michael Hall (Riot V), Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Mathias Blad (Falconer), Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland), Tommy ReinXeed (ReinXeed)
Yannis Papadopoulos (Wardrum), Rob Lundgren, David Åkesson (Qantice)
Marit Minniva Børresen (Marit Børresen), PelleK, Bernt Fjellestad (Guardians Of Time)
Vasilis Georgiou (Sunburst), Sigfried Samer (Dragony),
Kristoffer Göbel (ex Destiny / ex Falconer), Mina Giannopoulou