Land of Broken Hearts

Land of Broken Hearts is a vivid debut combining heavy guitar, dramatic choruses and Henrik Brockmann’s powerful singing, around André Andersen’s thick, gorgeous keyboards. Emerging from Denmark, it already clearly shows the sure budding of the symphonic, neoclassical style that would characterize later Royal Hunt. The songs, even within short lengths, have very many scene shifts, vividly changing their light and shade as if showing a story. From the powerful drive of the opener “Running Wild” and the catchiness of “Age Gone Wild,” which became a signature song, to the splendor of the fine instrumental “Martial Arts,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Easy Rider” and “Flight” convey the work’s fullness. In particular, “Age Gone Wild” and “Martial Arts” boasted high popularity in Japan too. Beneath the gorgeous, grandiose arrangement, firm, powerful riffs and memorable melody surely breathe. A record that already clearly showed the symphonic expanse and straight power-metal drive leading to the later grand Royal Hunt. A powerful, ambitious debut on which Andersen’s outstanding keyboard talent is in full bloom — the band’s origin here.