Fairyland - Score to a New Beginning (2009)

After releasing a great second album “The Fall of an Empire” this French band fell apart and all members left except for the keyboard player Philippe Giordana. Fast forward 3 years and “Score to a New Beginning” is released as a solo effort by the keyboardist and with countless guest appearances by renowned musicians. By doing this the album maintains the standard of quality set by “The Fall of an Empire” and takes the band to a whole new level.

The bombastic sound of Fairyland is greatly created by the keyboard atmospheres laid out by the Philippe. But this is not all, the overall sound is very well composed and with the help of the guest musicians the music is brought to life in a very spectacular manner. One of the things I like about bands using guest musicians is that every song sounds different, having its own identity and the imprint of that guest musician particular style.

The traditional Power metal vocals sound very good with the music, but it’s the choir arrangements and the female vocals that make this release standout. The epic sound of the music is always perfectly complemented by good choir arrangements, and this album is no exception.

But if you think all of these things are good there is even more. There are guitar and keyboard solos used here and there that propel the music to different dimensions and add freshness to the songs. The overall bombastic sound of the album is amazing and a very pleasant listening experience.

I can say that Fairyland returned with a great album that is up to par to its predecessor and will keep the band in a high standard. “Score to a New Beginning” could be compared to Sons of Seasons “Gods Of Vermin” album in terms of bombastic music, but it’s more Power metal oriented. This is a great album that is a must have for every Symphonic Metal fan.

Release Date: May 19, 2009 (USA)

Country: France