Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Highland Glory > From the Cradle to the Brave > Reviews
Highland Glory - From the Cradle to the Brave

Solid, with fits of unfettered glory. - 87%

hells_unicorn, September 5th, 2011

Few can count themselves amongst those who know about the short lived Norwegian power metal outfit Phoenix Rizing, which was something of a hybrid of “Keepers” era Helloween and vintage early 80s speed metal that grew out of the late 90s power metal revival. Part of this could be blamed on the massively crowded field that was pouring out of mainland Europe at the time, particularly Italy and Germany. But the ultimate reason for this band going the way of obscurity was vocalist Tom Piippo and guitarist Yngve Olsen taking the Phoenix Rizing name with them as they exited the musical field. But for all intents and purposes, this band never really went away, it just took on a new name in Highland Glory and put a much more distinctive personality at the helm in Jan Grefstad.

The distinctive feature of the former version of this band that is clearly displayed in “From The Cradle To The Brave”, a somewhat ironic mixture of past and present war stories with a cynical attitude on the subject and a couple of token love songs, is its humble simplicity. The songwriting never ventures out of the standards set by Iron Maiden and Helloween, and often comes off as fairly plain in comparison to gimmick based power metal bands or niche outfits in related sub-genres. Guitar solos, elaborate riff work and any other form of instrumental showboating are downplayed in favor of creating an atmospheric backdrop for the lone general leading the charge. It might be unfair to the other members of the band, particularly Lars Larsen who is a well accomplished keyboardist, but this band might as well be named after Grefstad.

The best way to sum up Jan Grefstad’s vocal style would be as Norway’s answer to Daniel Heiman (former vocalist of Lost Horizon, another band heavily interested in Scottish/Celtic heroic themes). He possesses that same capability of being subdued and clean, yet largely hangs out in the upper stratosphere in a manner rivaled only by either Heiman or Rob Halford. His voice has an ever so slightly lower tinge than that of the ex-Lost Horizon wizard and he doesn’t wander quite as high up, but the overall vocal character is so remarkably similar it’s uncanny. Anyone doubting the veracity of these claims need only listen to the album’s closing song as it features a riveting duet between Grefstad and Heiman, a sort of square off between two newly born titans in the Scandinavian power metal scene.

All in all, this album stands quite tall even when considering the amazing output by other bands circa 2002-2003, but it doesn’t quite rivet the senses the way Lost Horizon’s albums do. Things start off in a fairly predictable fashion with a solid, albeit somewhat tried and true mid-tempo song in “One Last Chance”, reminding heavily of a couple of songs heard on Heavenly’s sophomore effort “Sign Of The Winner”. As things unfold, things largely stay solid but don’t quite kick in the full afterburners, as a couple of slow yet satisfying ballads in “This Promise I Swear” and “We Will Be Again” filter in between metallic cruisers such as “Warrior’s Path” and “Beyond The Pharaoh’s Curse”. The former of these songs are carried primarily by the heartfelt, emotional to the point of melodrama vocal performances, while the latter has some intricate melodic material between the guitars and keyboards playing support for Grefstad.

But the whole story of this album isn’t told in songs that are simply good. Thankfully this band, driven by some excellent songwriting, actually outdo themselves as a collective whole and puts out some songs that lend themselves to undying devotion and continual repetitive listening sessions. At the zenith are both parts of the “Land Of Forgotten Dreams” series, spearheaded by riveting choruses and spellbinding instrumental material. The 2nd part, in particular, highlights a glass shattering scream fest at its conclusion that rivals the otherwise dominant duet at the close of the album’s title song. Good rule of thumb for this album is, if the song lasts long than 5:45 minutes, it will rock you into the next millennium.

This was back when power metal wasn’t measured only by a particular niche such as blinding speed and crazy guitar solos (a staple of Dragonforce and a handful of similar bands that first started at around the same time as this album), but instead about solid songwriting and a modern reminiscence of archaic heavy metal music. The bridge between the old guard in Accept and Running Wild and the newer one led by Stratovarius is on full display here. It’s distinctively European, yet not fully out of the realm of American and British fans who remember the early to mid 80s without the cliché lyrical themes and imagery trotted out by Hammerfall and Metalium. I tend to prefer “Forever Endeavor” slightly more for a stronger exploitation of the atmospheric keyboard character of the band’s sound, but this is an equally worthy album to all aforementioned concerned parties.

Alternates between excellent and mediocre - 85%

Aeturnus65, March 6th, 2006

Norwegian power metal act Highland Glory formed after the breakup of similarly unknown Phoenix Rizing, acquiring singer Jan Thore Grefstad to complete the band. Their debut, 2003’s From the Cradle to the Brave, is at times a wonderful slice of melodic power metal. Unfortunately, when it’s not so hot it can be downright awful.

First, the good: Grefstad is a real hidden gem in the power metal field, sort of a poor man’s Daniel Heiman. His great range and an overall smooth voice really give the album a boost. Actually, Heiman even makes a quick appearance on the title track, doing a duet with Grefstad near the end. Not surprisingly, this is the best song on here and is actually one of the better upbeat power metal tunes to come around in some time. Other winners include the “Land of Forgotten Dreams” two-parter and “Wear Your Gun to Neverland”, a great song saddled with an unfortunately silly title. Jack Olsen’s guitar work is also a pleasant surprise. Certainly not the most technical stuff, even within the power metal genre, but quite good nonetheless, with enough of a focus on catchy melodies to easily carry most of the songs.

Of course, there’s also the bad: two ballads out of nine tracks, both as sappy as you’d expect, throwaway tracks unless you really like that sort of thing (not sure who does, actually). The first track, which often gets cited as a favorite, simply does nothing for me, as it’s about the most formulaic song we get – unexciting singalong chorus combined with an almost too-happy sound. Knut Toftum’s bass hardly figures into the equation at all, being slightly buried in the mix. And while certainly not bad per se, the drumming and keyboard work are both pretty standard.

Thankfully, Highland Glory got the two most important elements right – vocals and guitars. The inclusion of slight hints of other styles – some folk/celtic influences and even a brief middle-eastern flair on “Wear Your Gun…” – also helps spice things up just enough. Similarly, the longer song lengths of a few tunes work in the disc’s favor as we don’t just get ten four-minute tunes of in-and-out happy cheese.

Granted, Highland Glory are still a B-level power metal band, but when firing on all cylinders they represent just about the pinnacle of this style, the good stuff on here being clearly superior to most of the generic bands playing a similar style today. If they can avoid the “misses” in the future they could make the jump to the big time, though that is indeed a big “if”. Until then, fans of bands like, say, Lost Horizon, as well as a host of lesser-knowns such as Gaia Epicus, Freternia, and so on should enjoy Highland Glory. Just remember to skip the ballads.

Quality Power Metal From An Unlikely Place - 89%

Theli, May 3rd, 2005

It's very rare to find a power metal band from Norway. My assumption for this is that the market is very discrimanating towards this genre of metal, and thus meaning that for a band to have succeeded at getting a label and an album out they must be pretty damn good.

Needless to say Highland Glory deliver. From the Cradle To The Brave is chalk full of epic power metal similar to something Lost Horizon would release. They have a sort of celtic or folk feeling to the song structures, similar to Falconer, albeit less prominent. The solos throughout most of the album are emotionally charged, and although still very talented, they are not the speedy type of solo one would expect from most of the power metal bands these days. The bass guitar is very prominent and has a very good sound, probably one fo the best in this newer style of power metal. But the best part of the whole album are the vocals. Jan T. Grefstad voice is amazing to say the least. He has very good control and a great range. His voice is very powerful as well, and is reminiscent of Daniel Heiman and Olaf Hayer.

The best songs on the album are Beyond the Pharaoh's Curse and From the Cradle To The Brave, which even features Daniel Heiman on vocals! Also the extended version has a cover of Running Wild's Conquistadores, which is stellar.

I reccomend this album to most fans of Rhapsody, Dionysus, Lost Horizon and Falconer.

Solid - 60%

NightOfTheRealm, May 22nd, 2004

They really ought to put up an “Impulse-Buy” Power Metal rack at the checkout counter of music shops. Like the candy rack in grocery stores, shelves of catchy power metal album covers would great the customer.

FROM THE CRADLE TO THE BRAVE, from Norway’s Highland Glory is one such impulse purchase for me. With a cover this cheese-ingly bad, the album has to be good. Highland Glory isn’t precisely a new band, as the band’s lineup (Minus vocalist Jan Thore Grefstad) had recorded two albums under the name Phoenix Rizing. Judging by looks alone, there is no mistaking this album for anything but crisp, clear melodic power metal with a slight epic and over-the-top flair. The end result is a sound much like Lost Horizon, with a bit of key/symphonic elements from Nightwish and the proggy-power metal of Mob Rules (especially the last Mob Rules album, HOLLOWED BE THY NAME).

Rushing from the shop clutching my new prize in hand, I pop the album in the player for the ride home. A little keyboard bit carries into some crunchy aggressive power metal riffs. By the time the chorus hits, I’m totally loving this one. This song is great in all aspects, from the inspiring and catchy chorus, sweeping guitar melodies, and the strong vocals of Jan Thore Grefstad. I don’t know where Highland Glory found his talent, but his performance is excellent. I wouldn’t consider him among my favourite vocalists, but his voice certainly fits very well with the music.

Unfortunately, the awesomeness of “One Last Chance” is put on hold as “Beyond the Pharao’s Curse” comes up. This one is a slow quasi-epic. The atmosphere of this song is right, and the middle instrumental is interesting but it just does not hold my attention. Fans of Lost Horizon listen up, because “A Warrior’s Path” has that over-the-top feel of a LH tune. Looking at the cover as I drive, I can’t help but feel a total BRAVEHART MOMENT (isn’t some of the guitar melody here taken from Iron Maiden “The Clansman?” heh). Even so, I could stand for a little more punch and speed to the song instead of a slightly faster than mid-pace gallop, as well as a catchier, less repetetive chorus.

I feel dirty for liking “This Promise I Swear,” one of the two uber-cheesey ballads on the album. I mean, this one leaves me with an even dirtier feeling than Edguy’s “Scarlet Rose.” Yes, but here I am singing along with, “All my dreams became true/Can’t believe that I’ve finally found you.” Gah...quit laughing at me, you fuckers! Moving along now, we have the two parts of “The Land of Forgotten Dreams.” Part I is very Mob Rules-ish in structure, with some distinct Nightwish guitars (ripped from WISHMASTER?). The solos here are great, but the song doesn’t really get going until the last 3 minutes of part I. Part two opens with a total fucking Nightwish keyboard rip-off, but the riffs behind it hit heavily enough with a good bassline. The middle section slows down until an insane flurry of solos builds up again to the last minute. Next is “Wear Your Gun to Neverland” which is probably the heaviest tune on the disc. It’s got this weird mid-eastern flair throughout the song, which is somewhat out of place with the rest of the album, but still manages to sound great. “Will We Be Again” is another fucking ballad! Why the hell do we need 2 ballads in 9 songs? Closing out the album is the title track and best song on the album. Maybe it’s just because we have Daniel Heiman and Fredrik Olsson from Lost Horizon making up the “Celtic Clansman Choir” on backing vocals, the fast tempo, or Jan Thore Grefstad’s best work on the album on the chorus. Nearly 8 minutes of ass-kicking power metal. The melodic outro adds the right bit of atmosphere to close out this song.

Highland Glory have shown that they are capable of some utterly awesome power metal, but some uninteresting songwriting takes away the momentum of the album. If the band kicks up the speed and power on the next album with more songs like “One Last Chance,” “From the Cradle to the Brave,” and “The Land of Forgotten Dreams,” they could have a hell of an album on their hands. In the meantine, FROM THE CRADLE TO THE BRAVE provides a good quick “sugar rush” fix for power metal fans, but after a few spins, I’m still hungry.

(originally written by me for www.metal-rules.com, August, 2003)