SAIDIAN

Saidian are a German, self professed 'melodic power metal band'. Formed in 2004, they comprise founder member Markus Bohr on keyboards, together with vocalist Markus Engelfried, guitarist Rodrigo Blattert, Stephan Luddermann on bass and drummer Bend Heining. ‘Evercircle’ is their third full length release. The album commences with 'Out of the Shadows', which is fast paced and very reminiscent of Helloween with the added ingredient of extremely prominent keyboards. Engelfried sounds uncannily like Michael Kiske, which is no disgrace, and the track would not be out of place on many of Helloween's post ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ releases. It is interesting that keyboard player Bohr is the longest serving member of the group as it is likely that this 'seniority' enables the keyboards to be far more in evidence on this album than in many other of it's type. 'Tokyo', which is a cover of an 80s track by a band of the same name, and 'Solomon's Dance' continue in the same vein as the opener before things slow down a little for the slighty more balladic 'Once in my Dreams'. Next up is the standout track on the album, 'Pale Moon Rider' which, despite having an 80s style intro that Stock, Aitken and Waterman could have come up with, develops into a storming track. 'Stroke of Genius' follows and here the band enter 'Dr Stein' territory with their take on the Frankenstein legend. Unfortunately, it also demonstrates the one area where one could say that Saidian have a weakness - their lyrics. This track features the line, “extracts of human brain”, which is delivered without the, perhaps, requisite humour, whilst the next track, 'Moonlight's Calling' contains the phrase “like lemming's we're falling” (are these the distant relations of the infamous ‘Heavy Metal Hamsters’, one wonders). Minor gripes about lyrics aside, and yes, I might be being overly critical, this is a well crafted and entertaining effort, and it would be well worth while keeping an eye on the festival line ups this summer just in case Saidian are playing in your neck of the woods.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Blistering Records

Album

EVERCIRCLE

Review Dave Uphill

RUNNING TIME:

56:02

RELEASE DATE:

1st June 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Out of the Shadows
2) Tokyo
3) Solomon's Dance
4) Once In My Dreams
5) Pale Moon Rider
6) Stroke of Genius
7) Moonlight's Calling
8) Sign In the Sky
9) The Princess
10) Halos for Everyone

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Germany

"...fast paced and very reminiscent of Helloween with the added ingredient of extremely prominent keyboards."