Although I am not a fan of fantasy or Tolkien's work, for that matter, I can definitely appreciate the music on this album. "Storm Of The Blades" is an immaculate journey filled with anxious synthesizers, monstrous guitar riffs and a catastrophic rhythm section to match. I am particularly taken by female vocalist, Kaisa Jouhki's work on this track. It blends right in and creates a menagerie of comfort and bliss. "Ghan Of The Woods" is another tune that stands out. The intro is packed with strange atmospheric sounds that quickly grab your attention. When the songs kicks in, it consists of basic Power Metal breakdowns, that combine with Jouhki and Mykannen's vocals to give it a ton of melody. As I've mentioned the band are big fantasy fans, just about every song on this disc takes you on a journey of some sort; "Gwaith-I-Mirdain", "Elves Of Luna" and "Thousand Caves" are spectacular instances of this. One thing I do find odd about this cd is that male vocalist, Mykannen, appears to take a backseat and sing backup vocals (growling) for the most of the cd. Most male/female tandems focus mainly on the male vocalist while the female vocalist sings backup, so this a nice change for sure. Mykannen does get his spotlight on "Gollum's Cry" in which he cries throughout the tune. And I am not exaggerating one bit, he cries. This normally wouldn't appeal to me, but the music of the track is so beautiful that I've learned to look over it.

This cd took awhile to grow on me, due to the lyrical content - mainly because I couldn't understand where they were coming from. I still don't, really, but the music is enlightening enough that I understand the feeling and emotions that they are trying to convey. I definitely think anyone with a fetish for fantasy or folklore will no doubt enjoy this cd. So get your Tolkien books out and grab this disc and settle in for one helluva story!