DESTYNATION – Rising Up

Destynation hail from the city of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden. Actually, this band has been around for some years ago under the name Eternia. The latter band had already released two full-length albums and one mini-album playing Power Metal with fantasy-based lyrics. Things didn’t go as planned, so Eternia made the decision to call it a day and regroup under a different name, changing their music direction a little bit, following a straightforward composing approach. The recorded demo tracks received noticeable response that gave the band some additional “air time” in the local radio stations, and the chance to perform some live shows. All of the above convinced Sonic Age Records to offer Destynation a record deal, and they eventually released their debut full-length album entitled Rising Up.

Musically, the band tinkers in Classic European Power Metal territory, with high-pitched clean vocals, catchy guitar riffs and melodies. The album opener “Shadowgate” has all the characteristics that made bands like Stratovarious, Dream Evil, and Hammerfall so popular. Easy to follow melodies and sing along chorus lines helps the listener get quickly into the mind of Destynation. Some keyboard melodies can be found in the next track “Evil Tonight,” that includes very good guitar leads and solos. “Back From The Dark” has a diploma from Stratovarious University with marching rhythm guitars and a melodic bridge that leads to the easy-to-remember sing-a-long chorus. The main theme of “Phantom of the Opera” makes an appearance just before the melodic guitar solo.

By the time “Freedom” kicks in, it becomes evident that the production and mix of the album deserve some credit, since the sound is crystal-clear, keeping the ideal balance between power and melody.

The lead guitars come in the forefront in the next catchy song, “Rising Up,” that should always have a place in the set list of every live performance. “Threshold of Pain,” and the epic mid-tempo “The Shadows Remain” earn some additional kudos, owing to Mr. Häggkvist’s soulful lead and backing vocals. The well-known recipe of the keyboard–guitar duo is implemented in “The Tears I Cry,” while very good guitar work is present in “Back of Doom,” along with the return to a fast tempo.

The epic atmosphere in “Spirits” and in “Signs” adds some points to the music diversity by escaping from the narrow margins of the European Power Metal sound. The last track of the album, entitled “Resign in Flames,” sums up all the characteristics of the prime German Power Metal scene with bands like Helloween and Gamma Ray.

The bottom line: Rising Up is a very good album where you will know what you’ll hear if you push the play button in the CD player. This does not mean that this is a predictable album that quickly becomes boring. There are very good compositions here, especially during the second half of the album, where the band tries to build a more personal sound.