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On A Moonlit Night

    
       
       
       
     
             
Vandor are a power metal band from Sweden, formed in 2015, releasing their debut album 'In The Land Of Vandor' in 2019. The bands second album 'On A Moonlit Night' was released in 2021...    
             
...and is a highly atmospheric and epic tinged journey through all facets of the power metal genre. Nine songs span a fifty five minute play time, with the albums centrepiece, an eighteen minute long composition of truly cinematic proportions. But that's for later - 'cause right now, the album gets underway with the ominously titled (thirty second) intro '...Darkness Looms', leading straight into album opener proper 'Mountains Of Avagale' - a barnstorming riff laden romp of infectious power metal. The galloping rhythm drives 'Mountains Of Avagale' forward at a high pace, the guitars and drums slicing through the air with ease. Maintaining the storming start, 'River Of Life' continues the high paced gallop, highly reminiscent of power metal masters Helloween. Delivered with a heavier vibe than the album opener, 'River Of Life' is head bangingly addictive, and one helluva cracking tune!    
             
Third song on the album 'Endless Sea', is also the third six minute plus offering, Vandor not shy at producing long songs, and definitely not afraid of opening the album with three on the bounce! 'Endless Sea's opening riff takes a long hard look at the iconic guitar sound associated with the NWOBHM evolution, adopting a heavy mid paced stroll. Much more melodic than the opening two songs 'Endless Sea' maintains the power metal intensity the album began with. 'Future To Behold' changes the entire aura of the album, dropping us straight into power ballad territory. All mellow and soulful, lighters are gonna be raised high in the air, with swaying from side to side replacing the head banging furore of earlier. Thundering in as the fastest song heard so far 'Fate Of Eltoria' is a blistering slice of all out, balls out, power metal, with head banging making an immediate return to the activities of listeners everywhere. The all out pace of 'Fate Of Eltoria' is exactly what you'd expect from power metal.    
             
And now for the albums cinematic centrepiece, the eighteen minute plus 'The Sword To End All Wars'. There are so many musical inspirations behind 'The Sword To End All Wars', only a foolish man would list them all. And I'm not foolish! I'm gonna let you sit back, listen, and discover them all for yourself. But that said, think opera, and the changing scenery, personnel, mood, and the sheer intensity of the performance - 'The Sword To End All Wars' has it all. Enjoy... The title song 'On A Moonlit Night' is the shortest song on offer, clocking in at under four minutes in length, and sees the album veer off into ballad territory once more - with what sounds like a crackling fire in the background. Images of sitting around a camp fire spring to mind, the guitar filling the night with vocals floating through the air. The final song 'Enter Twilight' is an intense and heavy hitting power metal romp. Blazing guitars and thundering drums echo everything great about the power metal genre.    
             
Overall, an album of classic sounding power metal, with a centrepiece that you'll need to listen to more than just the once.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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