Disco de Freedom Call: “Circle of Life [Bonus Track]”

There, I said it! I know all of the reasons I shouldn't like this band. They're like a more upbeat version of Helloween (which is a pretty damned upbeat band to begin with). They have too many sing-along choruses. They have the cheesiest lyrics this side of Hammerfall. Their albums are all pretty much the same. They're just too happy to be playing metal (no leather and spikes for these guys).

I love them anyway. I know how cheesy they are, but I just don't care. I know their choruses are sing-songy - it just makes them that much easier to sing along with in the car (yes, I do that, thank you very much). Call it a guilty pleasure, but I am a confirmed Freedom Call fan.

Of course, there is a lot to like here. The guitar work is fantastic. The album is full of great melodies. And Chris Bay's vocals, which are very reminiscent of Andre Matos (though not quite as high), are crystal clear and absolutely perfect for this kind of music. Sure, the band is sticking pretty close to the same formula on Circle of Life as it has on all of its previous albums, but it's enjoyable, so I can't really complain. They do seem to be running a bit low on ideas though.

If you're into bands like Angra, Stratovarius, Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Hammerfall, and you don't mind a little cheese in your diet (and let's face it - if you listen to Hammerfall you can't mind it that much), then you'll probably enjoy Freedom Call as well.

It's pointless to bash this album, like others did. The band has created their mold, and stuck to it. This album is fantastic, like all the others. You'd be missing out if you avoided this!

Freedom Call's music can be lumped in with HammerFall, Grave Digger, Nocturnal Rites, Stratovarius, Kamelot, and Messiah's Kiss. the guitar solo on the the song "Carry On" seems to be galloping.to my ears, it sounds like a power metal band with some electronic effects thrown in for some good measure. you would also think that the song "Hunting High and Low" is a cover of Stratovarius' 1999 song, but it is sung entirely different from the Stratovarius version. although I never heard Angra and Gamma Ray, I can pretty much sum up that they sound like Freedom Call.

A decent mix of good ol' fashioned hard rock. Heavy guitars. Some fast tempo drumming without the screaming, hard to understand lyrics of speed-metal bands; and without actually changing the tempo of the song. A welcome relief after having to live through the Grunge era, and now the Rap era.

Freedom Call is a power metal band from Germany that have been together since the late 90's. Their music is in the vein of Gamma Ray, early Angra, and Stratovarius. Freedom Call's latest offering, The Circle of Life, doesn't break any new ground, but still stay's consistent. It seems to me that the band has scaled back on speed, and have created more of a moderate, heavy sound. With that being said, the music starts to sound the same after a while! In addition, the music sounds like it was a little rushed in the process. This could be that most, if not all of the band members are involved in other projects. If you like a straight forward, metal sound, then The Circle of Life won't disappoint. If you're hoping that Freedom Call has moved forward some with their sound, then you're going to be let down as I am!