(Symphonic Power Metal) Nemesis - Goddess Of Revenge (Japanese Ed.) - 2003, MP3, 320 kbps

This is one of the random bands I've come across thanks to one of the channels I subscribe to on YouTube. I'm very glad I stumbled upon such a solid, yet forgotten power metal album! This isn't anything new or amazing and it's really no wonder this band hasn't gone anywhere big, even after their name change. What it is is a by-the-numbers power/flower metal album with some well executed neo-classical elements. At times it is highly reminiscent of the Italian power metal scene around the turn of the century. If you're a fan of early/mid-era Labyrinth, Rhapsody of Fire, Stratovarius or even some mid/late-Dark Moor, then you may want to check out this release just to see if it's something you'll like.

The vocalist sounds kind of like Roberto Tiranti of Labyrinth when he's hitting his higher notes, so that may be a big part of the Italian vibe for me. If I had to really pin the closest match though, I'd probably have to go with Toshi of X Japan (if he sang in English all the time). The vocals are all very well done and there's a nice natural tone and vibrato to his voice. There aren't many backing tracks, which helps his abilities really stand out when carrying sections like the verses. The slower/ballad songs like "Rain" definitely showcase the similarity to Toshi to my ears... or it could just be that it reminds me of the X Japan song "Endless Rain" as well.

The guitars are the shining instrument in this neo-classical outfit, as per usual, with brief moments of keyboard prowess. The keyboards take a backseat for the most part with major chords underneath and following the vocals, but when they do get a chance to show off it's well written and interesting. The guitars are exceptional, which definitely helps any by-the-numbers band to stand out somewhat. The playing is tightly recorded and all of the soloing is fluid, sounding mostly like a poor man's Luca Turilli.

I honestly didn't hear much standing out from a bassist's perspective. It's there to serve its purpose and rarely does more than just following along with the guitar riffs. It's obviously not the central instrument here, but it very rarely is in any neo-classical band. The drummer very similiarly doesn't do more than keep the standard power metal beats, though he does do some interesting fills and changes things up a few times to give the music a more progressive feel.

Overall the album is a nice standout for a typical power metal band of the era and it shows a lot of promise for this young band. It's a shame they didn't get their name out and really still haven't to this day. I think they could have really been a decent addition to the power metal scene, especially coming from the very atypical country of Czech Republic. I'll definitely pop this album in from time to time and enjoy its cool neo-classical sounds.

Review written by metal_bryan for www.metal-archives.com

Vilém Majtner - Vocals, Bass
Tomas Suchacek - Drums
Libor Krivak - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards