Timeless Miracle - Into the Enchanted Chamber

Normally I review albums that are at least fairly recent, but today I am doing something different and reviewing an album that came out six years ago. And now you say "But George, why? If it came out six years ago and it was any good then we've heard of it already." You would think so wouldn't you? But for reasons entirely unfathomable to me, it seems no one knows this album. That is not acceptable to me because I think this is one of the best power metal albums I've ever heard.

Timeless Miracle are (were?) a power metal band from Sweden who back in 2005 released "Into the Enchanted Chamber" on Massacre Records. Shortly after the release I read a review somewhere and ordered the CD on eBay from some shady metal store in Eastern Europe. I hadn't heard any of the music yet, it just sounded like something I would like, so I ordered it. Albums like this one are why I'm always searching through unknown bands for something new, because when it arrived and I first gave it a listen, it blew my mind.

This album is power metal played in that fast melodic style you would hear from Gamma Ray or Running Wild. The vocals are clean but not operatic, melodic but with an edge. Keyboards give the songs a large epic feel and occasionally the music has a medieval folk element about it.

The kicker with this album though is the songwriting. These songs are catchy as hell. Seriously, I will find myself singing songs from this album days or even weeks after the last listen. That is not usually something that happens to me with metal music. Not without something else to trigger it. The songs are about werewolves and witches and heading down to the gallows...yet they get stuck in your head. It's been six years and I still listen to this album regularly.

Now comes the sad part. This is their only album. Supposedly they were working on a follow-up called "Under the Moonlight" but it never happened. Very little is on the Internet about these guys and what I can find indicates they are still together, but years keep passing without any news. I want a new album. I need a new album. Why won't they get it together and release a new album? I don't know, but I am starting to accept that this will be the only album. But dammit I don't want to.