Gamma Ray’s drummer Dan Zimmermann and his band Freedom Call epitomize all the stereotypes Power Metal gets knocked for, unfortunately. Qualities that bands like Gamma Ray and Stratovarius should not get knocked for because they have been doing it from the start. These qualities are not a bad thing unless a band over uses those compositions in their music, or if the keyboards wash over the guitars too much. See with Freedom Call the keyboards can be a little over powering, along with a very melodic voice, at first listen this may turn many away. They do use hard crunchy guitars but at times during selective songs they drop out which makes them sound more melodic and light.

On that note, Freedom Call has the high end melodic vocals, very melodic, take the opening track ‘Mother Earth’ and ‘Carry On’ where both contain a very cheery chorus. What is good about this release from Freedom Call is there is not too much of the fast double bass rockers the genre is known for. Something like ‘The Rhythm of Life’ is more mid paced and with other songs they do a bit try to vary the rhythmic patterns.

Ironically, ‘Hunting High and Low’ (same title used by Stratovarius off “Infinity”) has almost the same drum beat and flow to its chorus as the Strato track. ‘Starlight’ is also as upbeat and optimistic, both feature a great bridge and equally memorable chorus accompanied by triumphant keyboards. Both of these songs are favs of mine and is what Freedom Call does well, sometimes even though very light their chorus’s can hit the nail on the head (take ‘Tears of Taragon’ off “Stairway to Fairyland”, great stuff).

‘Kings and Queens’, is where you are gonna hear the Euro Metal sound, O…and that opening riff sounds just like ‘Bark at the Moon’ from Ozzy Osbourne. Those triumphant keyboards with the fast drum beat make it cheesey when it comes to the chorus. ‘High Enough’ is sooo Gamma Ray.

When it comes to the over population of Power Metal bands, more imitators than anything, Freedom Call could be considered in the B class, not one of the originators but still good at what they do.