Band:	Skyward
Album:	Skyward
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	December 2005

01. Opening
02. Guardian
03. Die Happy
04. Burn It Down
05. Come December
06. Yesternight
07. Travel In Time
08. Crossroads
09. Vaya Con Diablo

Skyward is one of the last signatures of the French label Thundering Records, and it's actually funny to have to review a band that plays Symphonic Power Metal with a female singer when you know what happened to Nightwish lately. Well even if Skyward is not really original, at least they're not so bad and who know maybe that they could become a good palliative for all the frustrated Nightwish fans?

I won't lie and be honest, I'm a bit bored by all those Nightwish clones and when I heard the first song of this album, I was a bit disturbed one more time. But to well after a try I must admit that Skyward is not the worst. I mean that they're 100% not original for sure but at least some of their songs have good emotional riffs with ok symphonic vocals.

The songs are catchy in general, the production is more than correct the sad and frozen ambiances that we can find on some songs like "Die Happy" or "Travel In Time" is nice. Though of course it's not Doom Metal but it's not a pure "happy" Power metal and those little touches of Gothic spirit are interesting imo. Also, the symphonic arrangements are good and at the end, even if "Skyward" is evidently not a big revolution, I'm sure that we're in front of a good band with good musicians who maybe follow a trend but at least put their own touches to their music. Too bad that they came a bit late in the scene but in the future if they only know how to add something new to their music, it could work.

As I said in my introduction, if you like Nightwish and all the bands that play this kind of music, check this one, you won't be disappointed. Skyward plays in the same category but they have something more than the majority of the ones that just did copies of the famous Finnish combo though evidently and alas, it's not really original.