Band:	Kenziner
Album:	Phoenix
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	June 2020

01. Eye Of Horus
02. Listen To The Devil
03. Shadow Of The Moon
04. Tears Of Destiny
05. The Mirror
06. Osiris Rising
07. Curse Of The Pharaoh
08. To Hell And Back
09. Phoenix Rising
10. The Miracle

Neoclassical power metal is probably one of my favourite subgenres of power metal. As a result, I'm always excited when there's a new release. This time we have Kenziner's new work, Phoenix, their fourth full-length album and the second since the band's reformation in 2012. What can you expect from this album?

I'll start with the production. And truth be told? there isn't a lot to talk about. It's the standard modern power metal production with a little bit of extra grit in the guitar department. Everything sounds really solid and balanced, if a bit predictable. The neoclassical elements have a prominent place in the mix (as it should be), and these elements add a lot to the enjoyability of this album.

Next, I want to talk about the vocals. I recently read some comments somewhere that said that the vocals aren't powerful enough and that Stephen Fredrick would have done a better job. Now, I'm the first one who would get excited at the idea of more albums with Stephen on them, but I disagree with those statements; Piotr Zalesky delivers a good performance on this album, and I think his voice fits perfectly with the style of the band. This album doesn't necessarily need a gravelly voice; the clean vocals are more than enjoyable and engaging enough throughout Phoenix. But what about the lyrics? Well, they are Egyptian-themed and they completely fall in line with what I expect from most power metal albums. Overall okay, with some cheese here and there.

By now you've probably realized that, while I do like this album, it didn't necessarily blow me away. It's competently put together, but there aren't a lot of songs that feel extremely exciting to me. I think the biggest issue I had with the album is the flow of it. Don't get me wrong; the pace is quick enough to keep your attention until the end. It feels like it's running at one speed, however. Compare it to a rollercoaster. Which is the more effective, the one that goes at 75 km/h for the whole ride or the one that keeps fluctuating between 50 km/h and 100 km/h? Well, that's how I feel about this record. A bit of fluctuation without losing any flow would have helped. A song like "The Miracle" is one of the few tracks that could have added that. Unfortunately, it's the last track on Phoenix's list of songs, so that potential as a change of pace is wasted a bit.

So yes, I do think this is a good record. Is it one I will regularly come back to? No, not really. But I do think it's worth a listen if you like power metal. And definitely give this one a shot if you like neoclassical power metal. We don't get enough albums in this subgenre, and this one is an overall enjoyable experience throughout.