At first I was thinking this might be a fairly typical heavy metal romp but when I really took the time to dig into the album it became a bit apparent that the band was onto something just a bit different. The band plays a style that combines power metal and doom metal to great effect. Imagine the melodic nature of power metal mixed with the pace and heaviness of doom metal. It makes for a very interesting combination that somewhat reminds me of Candlemass mixed with hints of Blind Guardian.

This is an album that would call a grower. The first few listens are enjoyable but it takes awhile for the songs to full absorb. The slower pace certainly will be something new for most power metal fans. You certainly will not find any high speed melodies or fast drumming here. It definitely helps the band have their own niche within the genre. A song like Ghost Ship shows what the song has to offer perfectly. The song is slow paced yet the riffs shift effortlessly from melodic to heavy and the entire song is held together by memorable vocal patterns. A progressive edge comes out from time to time as well with the beginning of the title track being one of the standout moments.

There are a few problems with the album but they never really hurt the overall impact of the album. The production could have been a bit cleaner and there are a few off key vocal moments but neither hurt the album by any large amount. My advice going into this album is to give it the time it needs to breathe. This isn't a fast paced album but there is a lot to digest and the songwriting is quite satisfying if you give it the time it needs to fully register. To fans of Candlemass this one comes highly recommended.