After major changes in manpower following the release of 2004's Hellicornia, Sweden's old-school power-metalheads Fraise return with a fury. The appropriately titled A New Beginning is filled with raucous guitars and majestic keyboards — as well as rough-around-the-edge vocals and little originality that's more than reconciled by the earnestness of Fraise's five members. Comparisons to Stratovarius, Edguy, Nocturnal Rites and Hammerfall abound (especially on songs like "In Luxury" and "Arian and Arador"), but all of those bands have a better sense of melody and pacing. Granted, those groups also boast a long-standing status that Fraise — originally a studio project dating back to only 2003 — has yet to attain. But A New Beginning shows just enough promise to keep them lumped in with the veterans. For now, at least.
Track Listing:
1) Fall A Prey
2) Heal Me Now
3) Colours of Sin
4) Light My Flame
5) Sign of Victory
6) In Luxury
7) Midnight Moon
8) Arian and Arador
9) Take Me Away
10) Always Hope
11) Where Angels Fly
12) Euphoria
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