The band Kharizma has presented its second album for the listener's judgment, continuing its campaign to claim the title of leader on the russian power metal scene. Well, judging by the names involved, they have every chance: the music is credited to guitarist Leo Fomin (ex-MASTER), the lyrics were written by none other than Alexander Yelin, bass duties remain with Vasily Marchenko (ex-ARCHONTES), and drums are handled by Vlad Alekseenko (ex-ARDA). And finally, Daimon Avramenko can be heard as vocalist. Plenty of interesting things have been written about the latter online, and strangely enough, nearly all of it is true — the guy's vocal range is simply staggering. Throughout the album, you can hear various timbres — from the classic "slightly raspy" tone to a powerful high voice. At one point, I thought Arthur Berkut was guesting on the album, but apparently the credits don't indicate that. In short, the vocals are one of the album's greatest strengths, though not without caveats — at times Daimon tries to channel "Ripper" Owens, and it doesn't come off well. The music is straightforward power metal with mediocre solos and memorable choruses. The lyrics are patriotic in nature — Yelin is a master of that craft. The quality of the lyrics is average; no masterpieces to report. The ballads, it must be said, are weak on the album, but from the remaining material, the standout hits are "Walking Toward The Light" and "Stand While You're Alive!" Overall, a very enjoyable album — power metal fans should listen without hesitation.
