Album Review: Majestica – Power Train
Reviewed by Chris Taylor
If there was any symphonic power metal band whose name tells you everything you need to know it’s Majestica. Without hearing one second of any of their music reading the name and seeing the font fills your head with the sounds of wonder, energy, positivity and well ... majesty.
A project created by Tommy Johansson, after retooling his original project Reinxeed, Majestica have been teasing the notion of a third album in the five years since their previous work A Christmas Carol (yes it’s about that Christmas Carol). Having left his time with Sabaton behind him, Johansson and co. have at last brought their long awaited follow up, Power Train.
Fans will be right at home on Power Train right from the start. Beginning with the exceptional tone setting title track there are hooks and uplifting melodies a plenty, complete with a train intercom announcement promising an exciting ride to come.
What follows is an album full of all the symphonic power metal hallmarks. The synth heavy intro of No Pain, No Gain carries over the momentum from the title track with an infectiously entertaining and fast paced chorus that wouldn’t be out of place on a Dragonforce album. As expected Tommy Johansson’s vocals completely steal the album. A true master of epic singing he is one of the few vocalists that can truly keep up with the larger than life instrumentation. Battle Cry with it’s gang vocal lead in before the chorus followed by a stirring call to arms worthy of the track’s name feels destined to be a live staple. Though you could probably say that about most of the album.
There is very little messing around on the album. For the most part Power Train keeps up persistent momentum throughout it’s run time the only outlier being the more stompy and imposing Megatrue. It veers dangerously close to fatiguing at times however it certainly never gets boring. The epic six and half minute My Epic Dragon utilises a lengthy guitar solo, following a film score worthy orchestral build up, to make the song’s length feel justified only to then get followed up by the short punch of the frenetic Thunder Power.
Majestica know what their audience come to them for so Power Train is a very straight and to the point album and that’s exactly what it should have been. What you get from the opening track you get throughout the whole ride. A fast paced riff and melody driven album where every opportunity to be larger than life is exploited ten fold. If you don’t just want scope and power in your metal but need a shot of adrenaline injected in there as well then you can’t go far wrong with a ride on Majestica’s Power Train.
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