SALT

It baffles me why there are such different ratings for Wuthering Heights, since all their albums, except for the very early ones, are similar in quality, moderate-to-good. This Danish band play power metal with progressive touches and a very prominent Celtic folk influence. On this album the folk instrumentation (but not the influence) has been reduced somewhat, but instead its packed in a more "modern", New Era nautical package. But it's not our typical Iron Maiden-clone. Instead of wailing, the vocals are gruff. In fact, I picture an unwashed Viking every time I hear their vocalist, ha-ha. And equally gruff guitars sound not as much as riding-in-the-air- with-dragons, but rather as burning wildfire. The closing song, Lost at Sea, is a powerful 16-minute epic, stands its ground against Iron Maiden's Rime of Ancient Mariner as far as historical power metal epics go.