Zeelion - Steel attack 3/5
Reviewed: 6-30-06
Tracklist:
1. I burr
2. I remember
3. Steel attack
4. Shadows
5. King of all kings
6. Kingdom of dreams
7. Stars of orion
8. Black hearted woman
9. Into the twilight
10. Wind of time
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Zeelion has been a nice addition to my music collection. They definitely sit on the lighter side of what I look for, but I've found the majority of their songs be quite fun and enjoyable. The band has 2 CDs, the first being their 's/t' CD that was released way back in 1999, which is a catchy brand of melodic rock/metal with sing-a-long choruses and is a CD that contains a few exceptional songs. Fresh off my memory are "Crying" and surely "In love" with its fantastic keyboards and extremely memorable chorus. A song of pure melodic metal excellence!
With Zeelion's 2nd CD 'Steel attack', the band dabbles a lot more with speed and a good deal of the CD could be lumped in the melodic power metal style. The melodic rock/metal side is still present and at first the CD comes off as a little unfocused. This may be why I've spotted a few "average" ratings/scores on the net, but after having the CD rotating regularly for a few months now, I'd definitely consider 'Steel attack' to be more in the "above average" range, and although they sit on the border that seperates an unfocused listen from one that contains a good song variety, I think they lean towards the latter.
Because of the song variety that exists, band comparisons are a bit difficult with 'Steel attack', but one band eventually came to mind in the last little while. That being Opus Atlantica, who at this moment in time has a 's/t' debut full of fun and catchy songs. Opus Atlantica has a fairly strong neo-classical vibe however, and Zeelion, while a slight neo-classical influence is present, mostly circles melodic metal. Since Zeelion has obtained a good production with 'Steel attack' and solid vocals are heard (from Lenny De Rose, who sings in the higher range), the CD should satisfy fans of bands similar to Opus Atlantica.
Unfortunately, the lack of consistently great songs does keep the CD from reaching a higher quality level. While a good deal of exciting and melodic songs exist (track 2 "I remember", track 5 "King of all kings", track 6 "Kingdom of dreams" and track 9 "Into the twilight" for examples, the best on the CD), some simply okay songs like track 3 "Steel attack" and track 7 "Stars of orion" hold the CD down. Special mention must be made of the rocker "Black hearted woman" though, as it recalls the style that's heard with the band's 's/t' debut and also is an example of what I'm referring to with song variety. On the flip side however, special mention must be made of the slow and boring "Wind of time" that finishes the CD (although the chorus is decent). Still, despite some negative words, 'Steel attack' is recommended to those who have finished reading this review and remained interested throughout.
CLINT
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