Eternity’s End are a German progressive/power metal supergroup, formed in 2014. At the time of their formation, the lineup included singer Ian Parry, guitarist Christian Muenzner, keyboardist Jimmy Pitts, bassist Linus Klausenitzer, and drummer Hannes Grossmann. In 2017, they added second guitarist Phil Tougas, and in 2018, Klausenitzer and Parry left, replaced by Mike LePond and Iuri Sanson, respectively. Several of these guys worked together in Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid, and Grossmann’s solo band; others have been members of Symphony X, former Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss‘s band, and many, many other projects.

Their songs are power metal in its purest form. The opening title track of 2016’s The Fire Within is little more than a platform for solos (two guitar solos, one keyboard solo, and one extended passage of guitar harmony, with Muenzner playing along with himself). The drumming seems much busier than the relatively straightforward, thrashy riffs demand, and the lyrics are nonsense, effectively placeholders. (“See yourself in the hourglass of life”?) But they have an anthemic quality that’s undeniable, and when the ensemble puts on a sudden rush of speed, it’s easy to feel one’s heart racing and one’s fist rising into the air. Several tracks on The Fire Within feature a choir, which is strangely thrilling as well.

On the new Unyielding, which has so far only been released in Japan and South Korea (a European release will be announced soon), there’s been some evolution. The songs are even faster, and heavier. While original vocalist Parry had the ability to hit the high notes beloved of the power metal audience, he also had a harsh, forceful delivery reminiscent of former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno. The band’s new singer, Iuri Sanson, has a much higher and cleaner voice—he aims straight for the sky, emitting fierce but almost operatic cries. The addition of a second guitarist gives the music a more organic feeling, too. It’s still power metal, hyper-precise and polished to within an inch of its life, but you can hear a difference between Muenzner’s playing and Tougas’s, especially when each man solos. Eternity’s End have become much more DragonForce-esque on this album, and that’s a good thing.

Power metal will forever be an acquired taste. But the members of Eternity’s End have been at this game a long time, and they’re doing exactly what they want on Unyielding. The old critical cliché “those who like this sort of thing will find this to be the sort of thing they like” applies perfectly, in the best possible way.

—Phil Freeman