Supreme Majesty - Tales Of A Tragic Kingdom

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Massacre Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 45:15:00

It's Europe all over again! The first instant this started I thought of Europe's Final Countdown. Scary indeed - but welcomed, I admit. Firstly, this rocks. Secondly, this is completely unoriginal. This is their first full-length release after their MCD Divine Enigma and it is so wonderfully catchy, clean, and full of energetic melodic metal that you soon forget the unoriginality. This sound can be partly attributed to Mr. Fredrik Nordstrom (production with In Flames, Dark Tranquillity).

Now to the band. Joakim Olsson is the vocalist and he sits comfortably with David Readman (PC 69) and DC Cooper (Silent Force) and the great man Joey Tempest (Europe). Not many bands have a magical vocalist at their disposal on their debut full-length disc but this is one of them. The band also features Chrille Andersson (b) and Daniel Andersson (g/k) - no relation - and these two are the centre of the band taking credit for the majority of the lyrics and the music. Joining Daniel on guitars is Rille Svensson - and this twin attack is so powerfully put together that you'll have a hard time faulting them.

Track-wise, they don't stray too far from the norm except on the momentous track "Queen Of Egypt" which has Egyptian orchestrations running through it. "Towards The Northern Star" shows how the band shine together as musicians and two ballads in the form of "Forever I'll Be" and "Eye Of The Storm" are once again totally unoriginal but utterly engaging, especially the latter. It's really powerful - and not a trace of an accent. The great thing about this CD is that there are no filler tracks and you will immediately feel at home with Supreme Majesty's style of melodic and catchy metal.

Aside from Lost Horizon, it has been a year with not many standout debut power metal bands - but I can now safely add Supreme Majesty to that list. If you enjoy melodic metal with a stirring vocalist and if you don't mind the originality quotient on the low side then definitely give this band a try. Majestically Supreme? Supremely Majestic? No - Supreme Majesty!

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]

Tracklisting:
Strike Like Thunder / Not of This World / Towards the Northern Star / Forever I'll Be / Let It Go / Tales of a Tragic Kingdom / Queen of Egypt / Keeper of the Dead / Supreme Majesty / Eye of the Storm / One Step Away*

*JP bonus

Musicians:
Chrille Andersson -bass
Daniel Andersson -guitars, keyboards
Joakim Olsson -vocals
Bartek Nalezinski - drums
Rille Svensson -guitars


Discography:
Divine Enigma (1999)
Tales Of A Tragic Kingdom (2001/2002)
Danger (2003)
Elements Of Creation (2005)

Genre: Melodic Metal

Origin

Added: February 20th 2005
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.supreme-majesty.com
Hits: 1793
Language: english