Freedom Call – Land Of The Crimson Dawn

Releasedate: 27-02-2012; Label: Steamhammer/SPV
By: Martine Goffard

It’s with great pleasure that I present you the last one of the famous band Freedom Call, “Land of the Crimson Dawn”.
Freedom Call, it’s this big, heavy, German Power Metal, without refinement and extra-cheesy (imagine it like a double portion cheese U.S.-size).
Either you like it or you hate it. It’s also the kind of music that you listen to secretly, like a forbidden pleasure, so you won’t look too stupid in front of your friends (with so much “rainbows”, it’s the Hello Kitty metal). I’m doing my Freedom Call “coming out” here but it’s exactly the kind of things you want to hear when you are in good mood, that you want to party or celebrate something. This makes the atmosphere. All is exacerbated to reach this euphoria: faster, higher, louder! The song titles say all: 66 Warriors, Back Into The Land Of Light, Power+Glory… The lyrics are very basic, nothing elaborated there (“We don’t play Rap and Hip Hop, we play Rock n’ Roll… oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah”) and enticing to spur the crowds on. You can even hear it in the choirs, it sounds like a full audience behind. Now, it would have been nice if they had wanted to tell a story with their album, there’s a cruel lack of inconsistency.
Still, this complete “whatever” works well! It’s technically impeccable. Chris Bay’s voice is wonderful, climbing in vertiginous heights. There are fantastic keyboard and guitar solos. It’s all very melodic. The rare dark parts fall perfectly in the songs, like on Crimson Dawn. All is made to be played live, so you can frenetically headbang. Nothing new, it’s Freedom Call old recipe, the same one that made their success. With the risk of sounding corny, they stuck to it. The feeling of happiness is the same still and the tunes will stick in your head for weeks and more. It’s even time to listen to old stuff again! I think I have the Eternity album somewhere. I may play it a bit louder, even if people can hear it. “Back into the laaand of light !…”

Line-up:
Chris Bay – singer, guitar, keyboard
Lars Rettkowitz – guitar
Samy Saemann – bass
Klaus Sperling – drums

Tracklist: 01. Age of the Phoenix 02. Rockstars 03. Crimson Dawn 04. 66 Warriors 05. Back into the Land of Light 06. Sun in the Dark 07. Hero on Video 08. Valley of Kingdom 09. Killer Gear 10. Rockin’ Radio 11. Terra Liberty 12. Eternity 13. Space Legends 14. Power & Glory

Links:
Freedom Call Facebook