trax:
1.Spirit Of Salvation
2.Break The Silence
3.Edge Of Time
4.Mindgame Masquerade
5.The Sacrifice
6.Surreality
7.Forever Endeavour
8.Real Life
9.Somewhere
10.Demon Of Damnation
11.Wild Child (Bonus - W.A.S.P. cover)
12.Love gun (Bonus - KISS cover)
13.The Trooper (Bonus - Iron Maiden cover)

label: Massacre Records

Jan Thore Grefstad - Vocals
Jack Roger Olsen - Guitar
Lars Andre Larsen - Keyboards & Guitar
Knut Egil Toftum - Bass

Highland Glory. Damn, their first album had a kick-ass front cover. They also have a singer that probably drives Michael Vescera insane (since he sounds 100% similar). They’re also based in Norway. Power Metal from Norway? Has to be good! And it is!!!

Highland Glory are actually the continuation of Phoenix Rizing, who released 2 albums worldwide ("Rise From The Ashes" in 1998 & "Eternal Crusade" in 2000). The band changed singer and formed Highland Glory in the summer of 2001! With a fresh new start and an increasing potential, the band developed their style of melodic Power Metal in a heavier and more traditional direction on the debut album, "From The Cradle To The Brave" 2003 (yeah, that’s the one with the cool front cover).

"Forever Endeavour" might not have such a cool front cover but definitely encloses really cool music. Power Metal meets neoclassical (the way Mr. Malmsteen invented it) with fine tuned melodic and powerful guitars, an exceptional vocal performance and lots of variety in tempos to keep everyone satisfied. There are a couple of backdrops since "Break The Silence" brought in mind "Eagleheart" of Startovarius and "Mindgame Masquerade" did the same thing with "Victoria’s Secret" of Sonata Arctica (both of them mostly in the refrain) but in overall this album satisfied my appetite for melodic Power Metal at a 100% rate.

Some of the most ass kicking tunes are the powerful / epic "Mindgame Masquerade" and the amazing power ballad "The Sacrifce" (those two are nicely "stitched", one after the other, that create a wonderful feeling of continuation!) while "Forever Endeavour" and "Real Life" follow at a close range just behind. The European version includes three (!) bonus tracks, all of them covers of known songs. W.A.S.P.’s "Wild Child", KISS’ "Love Gun" and "The Trooper" from this band... ah yeah, Iron Maiden (since I don’t get to listen to this song often in cover versions).