Andem – “Doch’ Lunnogo Sveta” (2009)

Label : Irond Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Andem come from Moscow, Russia and they play a solid, up-tempo brand of power metal. Their strong debut “Pendulum of Life” was released in 2008 and it really hinted at what this band was capable of and now the band is back with their new release “Doch’ Lunnogo Sveta” (translated into English the title means “Daughter of Moonlight”). As is evidenced by the song titles, the band sings in their native Russian language which is one of the more endearing things about this band. The intro track “Principium et Fons” leads us into the crushing riffage of the opening tune “Hranitel Mechey” and we’re off. Right away their is a bit of a Helloween feel – especially with the guitar harmonies and pacing of the song. Lead vocalist Yuliana Savchenko has a strong vocal style that is tailor made for the power metal mayhem that is accompanying her – her vocals are instantly impressive. The title song “Doch’ Lunnogo Sveta” is next and this track brings the tempo down a notch. This has an instantly infectious chorus that will stay with you long after you’ve heard (so the vocals are in Russian, the chorus is still catchy as hell). Other “Master i Margarita” is one of the heavier and fastest songs on the CD. It is also quite aggressive and features some growling style vocals in conjunction with Yuliana. “Molitva” is a great ballad that offers a change of pace from the more up-tempo material. Other highlights include: “Polnochyi Gost”, “Goty idut na Rim” and the eerie closing track “Pesni Peschanyh bur'” which is a moving symphonic-like instrumental track. Definitely a cool way to bring this fantastic CD to a close. The level of musicianship and the songs that can be found on this CD (and their first one as well) is of a very, very high caliber. The band certainly put their heart and soul into each and every track and that can be found in the overall quality of the material.