Band : Avian
Album title : From The Depths Of Time
Label : Blinding Force Recordings
Distributor : /
Release date : 26/10/2010
Release : CD (Re-issue with bonus tracks)

Those in the know will tell you right-off that this is no new album by the Minneapolis (Minnesota) based American Power Metal act, for they are aware that the Lance King fronted formation released their debut album back in 2005 on the Nightmare Records label in the US (European distribution was handled by Massacre Records). Well, I reviewed that album (posted 18/11/2005) and I did the same with the band's sophomore album Ashes And Madness (posted 22/02/2009, that one was distributed by the ill-fated SPV – whom went bankrupt soon after...only to be revived half a year later).

In essence, those two reviews should give you enough history of the band to be pleased on that point...but what you don't know is that in the meantime King decided to quit the band this year to concentrate his efforts on other things, a support slot show for Hammerfall in May marking his last show for the band. The other guys were however fortunate enough in finding out bassist Brian Hollenbeck's voice was quite similar to King's, and so he took on the job of lead singer (in stead of being just a backing singer). To allow him to concentrate on his task, band mastermind Yan Leviathan decided to get a new bassist (that position in the band really went though quite some changes) in the person of one Jaden Adair (of the now defunkt Minneapolis band Risingfall). On the second guitar these days, we find one Steve Stine (replaced Bill Hudson shortly after the recordings of the second album, apparently). I'm not sure whom is on the drums these days, as Jerry Babcock is no longer named on the band's MySpace page. Also, the band changed labels to Blinding Force Records a label operating from St. Paul, Minnesota ( only a good 30 km away from Minneapolis. In the Summer of 2010 the band announced that their next album, entitled Midnight At the Tower, would be released in mid-2011.

To tie over the bridge, the label also re-issues the band's debut album with some bonus tracks, the first being "Two Sides Collide", the Japanese bonus track at the time, the other a live acoustic version of "As The World Burns" (and I'm assuming that is an older recording with King still singing). The third song is "Sentinel On The Horizon", and features lead vocals by Hollenbeck. What with the bonus tracks added, the length of the album now exceeds 68 minutes...but is that enough to entice those among us who'd got themselves the original album back when, to buy this re-issue as well? Well, perhaps sóme of you won't even falter in their thoughts about that! At any rate it's a dream occasion for those who did nót get themselves the album before. Now as to the question whether Hollenbeck's singing is really só similar to King's as to make the transition a smooth thing, I have my doubts from the one song I could hear. There's indeed a similar high pitch, but to my feeling his singing isn't as fluent as King's. The trouble is...I don't know in how far that was exactly what the song needed, do I? So, I guess I'm reserving my “judgement” until I get a chance to hear the new album. For the fans of the band there is nevertheless a chance to find out a little more for sure, as 2 days after the release of this album, the band's label issues 4-track EP The Path, featuring 3 brandnew songs (and you'll only find the title track on the forthcoming album – one of the two others is a “...smokin' hot...” instrumental, mind you) plus a live acoustic version of “The Fear”. Of course, if you're an absolute fan, you may already have come across Echoterra, that other band with Hollenbeck and Leviathan.

“The Path” just happens to be the only song with Hollenbeck singing you can currently find posted at myspace.com/avianband, and I strongly suggest fans of strong Power Metal with Progressive touches who didn't buy this band's debut album before, to check that site out, as it also contains no less than 5 songs off that recording. Maybe the bonus tracks on the re-issue are exactly what's needed to entice you! As for the rating, just because I'm already familiar with (most of) the material is no excuse for me to give the album higher points, is it?

90/100

Tony.