Primal Exhale

The mid-2000s was a period of flux in many respects, but particularly so in the case of the still expanding European power metal scene. Whereas the prime movers of the 2nd wave's initial upsurge in the 90s were heavily focused upon impact, speed and technical flair after the mode of the style's speed metal forerunners, a more nuanced and progressive-bent picture began to emerge by the middle of the subsequent decade. In this respect, Finland's Excalion could be regarded as the right band at the right time, as they carried plenty of familiar melodic trappings and older stylistic elements from the high period of Stratovarius just prior to the turn of the millennium and the aforementioned newer elements to bridge the divide and become a major player when their 2005 debut Primal Exhale hit the shelves. In essence, this was the sort of band that could play equally well to the older guard that still wanted more of the high flying fun put forth by several earlier Finnish acts and those who were ready for a change and found an irresistible charm to bands like Masterplan and Altaria that were more keen to throw some hard rock and progressive influences into the mix.

Given that this six piece was originally birthed in 2000, during the zenith of the Helloween-steeped stylings of power metal in Northern Europe, the remnant of 2nd wave quirks in their sound is all but to be expected. Nevertheless, just about every obligatory nod to the past is tempered with a needed twist to keep things from morphing into an overt throwback to where things were a few years prior, and perhaps the most pivotal element in turning this band's sound away from the early 2000s sound is the vocals of front man Jarmo Pääkkönen. In contrast to the legions of Michael Kiske and Hansi Kursch imitators that had saturated the scene, his approach proves a bit more atypical, resting somewhere between the gritty mid-voice of Brainstorm's Andy Franck and the glass-shattering USPM sound of Harry Conklin. Adding to his almost show-stealing presentation is a versatile musical backdrop that vacillates between early 2000s speed/power trappings with plenty of keyboard and guitar solo battles and a groovier, heavy-ended riffing approach that provides some needed tension beneath what is largely a sea of infectious melodic phrases and consonant chord progressions.

The culmination of all these elements is a series of songs that, while largely moderate in length, have the feel of a series of elaborate compositions rather than overt radio bangers, often despite the chorus sections proving to be catchy enough to be passed off as the latter. The exposition of this complex affair in "Temptation Wasteland" manages to function as both a grand prelude and an up tempo opener in one, though it spends a fair bit more time in a chugging mid-paced stride following the atmospheric keyboard intro and uses the explosive Helloween-inspired speed riffs sparingly. Nipping on its heels is a more rocking, down tempo anthem in "A Moment In The Spotlight" that lays the keyboards on really thick and has more of a vocally-driven, 80s AOR-like feel to it, which feels all too fitting for 2005. Then again, more typical cruisers such as "Reality Bends" and the Nightwish-inspired dark affair "Megalomania" carry an all too familiar ring for those who were neck-deep in the power metal sound of 1998. Rounding out the territory in between is a rather unsubtle amalgam of vintage Statovarius and then recent Masterplan in the upper mid-tempo banger "Stage Of Lies" and a Mid-Eastern tinged chugger out of the Symphony X playbook in "Dire Waters", which are, in turn, combined with all the other aforementioned influences into one massive final hurrah of an epic dubbed "Obsession To Prosper", which is this outfits closest flirtation with overt power/prog and predicts much of what Pyramaze would bring to the table later in the 2000s.

Perhaps the lone conundrum that hangs over this highly competent first entry by one of power metal's many valiant acts is it's ongoing obscurity, though one would need look no further than the now long defunct Sound Riot Records, whom handled most of this album's distribution, to unravel said mystery. For those not in the know about the latter days of said Brazilian-turned Portuguese label, suffice it to say, they folded tent a couple years after this album hit the scene amid a number of accusations of poor business practices and mismanagement, spearheaded by Gaia Epicus and a few others that were also signed with them at the time. Combined with a sizable collection of equally competent studio efforts in subsequent years and the lack of any reissues to date, Primal Exhale has found itself in a bizarre state of limbo, with mostly older fans of the sub-genre being aware of its existence and the band itself seemingly uninterested in unearthing it for their current audience. It's an unfortunate eventuality, and one that anyone who has followed Excalion during their later stint with Limb Music and their current Scarlet Records releases should not hesitate to remedy. One could argue that they got better as time went on, but to those fans of bands like Axenstar, Dreamtale and Force Majeure, this band was one to be reconned with from its very inception, and their long neglected debut deserves its long overdue day in the sun.

Excalion may be the only Finnish power metal band in existence that doesn't immediately cause me to cringe. For a country which seems to specialize in breathtakingly lame music, Excalion's style of power metal is surprisingly burly and even US-inspired at times, with riffs that sometimes sound like the band dove into the Jag Panzer back catalog for inspiration (amidst the more conventional, European style). I'm not exactly a scholar when it comes to power metal, so I can't immediately describe what these guys sound like- it sounds like there's a little bit of influence from the Italian scene, with post-Kamelot bands like The Dogma popping in here and there, but ultimately, all I can say is that this is definitely on the European side of power metal with drips of the US scene providing some well-needed heaviness to the overall equation.

It's the melodic edge in the vocals which reminds me of USPM here- Jarmo Pääkkönen is much more willing to dwell in the low and mid registers of his voice than a lot of his contemporaries, and the more downtuned guitars and punchy bass presence gives this a certain heaviness and aggression which a lot of similar music lacks. Excalion isn't unbelievably riffy- a lot of the guitarwork is just power chords backing more elaborate synth melodies- but they still tend to feel more substantial and driving, not being pushed all the way back in the production and typically sounding like the true building block of the music. While the synths are definitely flashy in the typical style of Euro power metal, they're matched by equally intense solos, which are technical and virtuosic but surprisingly restrained- clearly, emphasis is put on quality melodies in the solos rather than merely impressing the audience, which is something I appreciate a lot. Hell, I even like the dueling synth and guitar solos in 'Obsession to Prosper'- and this comes from a guy who's usually found listening to Lymphatic Phlegm before anything like this.

While I do think that this album suffers a bit for its length- a couple of the middle tracks could be cut without too much trouble- it's still solid and engaging all the way through. I particularly like the production, which, again, doesn't reduce the guitars to a supporting role, and a special bit of attention should be given to the drum production, which has a wonderful aural space for the cymbals in particular. Jarmo Pääkkönen's vocals, while conventional in style, are powerful and driving, never sounding weak or effete like a lot of Italian power metal bands, and always conveying the sort of energy and passion that I look for in this style. All in all, Excalion's missteps are few, and I'm happy to have them in my collection.

Excalion's music is most certainly conventional, adhering to the tried and true canon of European power metal, but I'd say they execute this conventional style better than most others out there. This might not be an essential release for someone who's not particularly interested in power metal and only wants the biggest, most important albums, but anyone who enjoys the genre for what it is would absolutely enjoy this release. It's consistent, fun, and spirited music from a band who clearly loves what they're doing, and I can't think of much more to ask for.

This was a surprise. Excalion are a Finnish band who play a proggy style of melodic Power Metal, and they do it really well. I dropped this in and was grabbed right away by the powerful production, catchy melodies and the nice, heavy guitars. Normally any kind of prog styling puts me right to sleep, but Excalion don't overdo it with the time shifts and the key/guitar interplay, just using them to add dash to their sharp, hooky sound. "Temptation Wasteland" is a strong opener, but the following track "A Moment In The Spotlight" is the strongest song, with a really great chorus. Other standouts include "Reality Bends" "Dire Waters" and "My Legacy". Later on they tend to overdo the prog stuff, and thus render songs like "Megalomania" and "Obsession To Prosper" a bit dull, but overall Excalion have put out a tremendously strong debut. All the performances are good, but I have to single out charismatic frontman Jarmo Paakkonen as one to watch, as he's just a great performer. Not the most gifted singer of all time, but he sure knows how to sell a tune. Yet another good Finnish band to keep an eye on.