Formed originally in 2002 as a tribute band to Helloween, Trick Or Treat obviously are going to make music that honors all the trademarks of their pumpkin forefathers. Even former Helloween singer Michael Kiske guests on two songs, see the opener ‘Inle' (The Black Rabbit Of Death)’. So musically you get nothing unique or original, its pure hero worship. The creativity (then primarily), comes in the album concept (rabbits), and related videos which look like they put some money into bringing the story to life.

The band includes singer Alessandro Conti, from Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody, with guest appearances by Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica (on ‘United’), Sara Squadrani from Ancient Bards - Ayreon and, in the role of the evil general Woundwort, Tim "Ripper" Owen (ex-Judas Priest). ‘Cloudrider’ is bright and upbeat, has a great melody between the vocal, guitars and keys in the spirit of classic Edguy. I like the darker tone, use of guitars and keyboards for ‘Efrafa’ and ‘They Must Die’ (Tim Owens on lead vocal duet) adding some dynamics to the album, while the acoustic ‘Together Again’ has a Blind Guardian feel, and ‘Never Say Goodbye’ is a piano ballad. Instrumental ‘Beware The Train’ is written around dueling guitar/keyboards, and proggy changes, is very much inspired by Angra, with ‘The Showdown’ a ten minute epic with orchestration.

As a European Power Metal fan, and someone who, from this website’s inception in the early 2000s, was adamant in the crusade for promoting this branch of Heavy Metal, I can say Trick or Treat do a good job preserving this music for the present. Recommended for listeners of the above mentioned bands, plus Gamma Ray, Freedom Call, and Stratovarius. I see no reason why this band shouldn’t be one of the leaders of this sound and style for the new/next generation. Someone’s got to do it. It’s a 7.5/ 10 because of its lack of own identity.