Time to Be King

Time to Be King is a dramatic power metal record layering thick guitar, symphonic keyboards and grand choruses. On this May 2010 AFM release, Jørn Lande returned on vocals in 2009. He wrote all the lyrics, and Axel Mackenrott, as a main songwriter, brought the seeds of the title track and “Blue Europa.” Mike Terrana plays drums, Jan S. Eckert anchors the bass, and Grapow handled production. The songs range from stately mid-tempo to racers, with weight and melody well balanced. From the drive of the opener “Fiddle of Time,” the advance single “Far from the End of the World,” the forceful “The Black One,” and “Blue Europa” (which depicts post-WWII Europe), to the ballad-leaning “Under the Moon” and “The Dark Road,” the appeal is a structure that keeps the vocal hook firmly at the center amid grand arrangements. The rawer, less complex production is also striking. It became Lande's final album with the band — a record made with real conviction.