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InnerWish: InnerWish
InnerWish 2016 Self-titled Fifth Album CD Album Review

InnerWish: InnerWish

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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Ulterium Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 03.03.2016

Long serving and respected Greek metal band InnerWish hasn't had a new studio album in six years. You may think they've been missing action, but they've been busy. First, they had to deal with some personnel changes. Drummer Terry Moros and vocalist Babis Alexandropoulos left the band, in 2010 and 2011 respectively. They found a new drummer in Fragiskos Samoilis but, before settling on a new vocalist, set upon writing new songs. In 2013, George Eikosipentakis became their new vocalist. With the new band intact, InnerWish recorded two cover songs for two tribute albums, one for Black Sabbath, the other for Warlord. Now they're back with their fifth album, simply self-titled, InnerWish.

InnerWish Band Photo

InnerWish

It appears that when InnerWish decided to make a comeback album, they were determined to go big, or go home. You get 13 songs, at nearly 110 minutes, of their classic European melodic, heavy power metal. Yeah, there's much to consider. They probably should have dropped three or four songs for, if anything, to avoid the pitfall of redundancy. Yet, InnerWish has its merits. Twin guitar harmony and riffage. Monster lead solos. A good mixture of speed and steadiness in song tempos. Eikosipentakis has a raspy metal voice, yet sings clean and melodic. You won't find any death growls here. He reminds me a lot of Les Carlsen of Bloodgood.

For the songs, you have to listen for the variations. Like the subtle soft breakdown after the guitar solo in Sins Of The Past. Or the symphonic, hymnlike, character of Rain Of A Thousand Years and the light acoustic guitar just before the end. There's also some very pleasant acoustic guitar with vocals at the start of Needles In My Mind, a song that shows InnerWish's command of harmonious vocal arrangements. Another song, Cross The Line uses the vocals over acoustic guitar for the entire album. No power chords, massive riffage, or thundering pace. It's essentially a metal ballad. Otherwise, most other songs are brisk, abundant in riffage, and stoked with fine guitar solos. Bottom line? This album is a fine return to form for InnerWish, and puts them back in contention as significant traditional melodic power metal band in the European theater. Recommended.

InnerWish - Needles In My Mind


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In Short

The self-titled comeback album, InnerWish, is a fine return to form for the band, and puts them back in contention as significant traditional melodic power metal band in the European theater. Recommended.

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