Third time's the charm? Seems to be for Poland's Exlibris, who return in 2015 with a stomping epic of melodic metal in the classic European sense. I recall hearing their previous effort, Humagination, and being none too amused, but album #3, Aftereal – seriously, guys, lay off the forced portmanteaux – serves notice that these Warsaw natives are not content to settle for that generic, sing-songy bullshit that almost guarantees you a record contract in Scandinavia.
The band name check Evergrey copiously in the Aftereal press release, both citing the band as a primary influence and also to boast that they scored Evergrey vocalist Tom Englund to guest sing on "Closer". Evergrey is an apt comparison, not just in terms of musical similarity – although Exlibris tend to maintain a faster, more engaging tempo – but also both bands are torch bearers for an older style of anthemic European power metal made popular by pioneering bands like Helloween, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, and Stratovarius, not to mention newer acts such as fellow countrymen Crystal Viper. They also have a little of that keyboard-driven bombast characterized by Savatage in the years contemporary with TSO.
So yeah, "pioneering" would not be a word that I expect to hear applied to Exlibris per se, but the band are nonetheless carrying on a venerable tradition and, more importantly, doing quality work within the genre to boot. Nowhere is this more evident than on the album's centerpiece, the interconnected suite "Before the Storm/King of the Pit". The piano intro that runs through "Before the Storm" and the beginning of "King of the Pit" will be what prompts most listeners to dredge up the "Edge of Thorns"-era Savatage comparison, but Exlibris put their own stamp on vocal harmonizing, kind of a loose blend of early Europe and Rhapsody of Fire.
Tom Englund's guest turn comes on the back stretch of the album and provides a more somber counterpoint to the otherwise upbeat nature intrinsic to the remainder of Aftereal's 49 minute running time. It provides a sterling opportunity for guest guitarist Piotr Rutkowski to show off his tasteful soloing skills, he sublimating his virtuosic talents for a more lyrical approach. There are too many guest/session musicians to adequately chronicle here but it never becomes a case of too many cooks spoiling the pot.
Ultimately Aftereal is in no danger of converting fans that have no use for power metal whatsoever, but if, like me, your only aversion is the generally bland uniformity of the genre and you're willing to make allowances for bands that stand out from the pack, Exlibris should slot right in there with your exceptions to the rule. If you're an active fan of power metal than Aftereal becomes absolutely essential.
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