Review Summary: Living the dream.
Palantir are a jolly band of power metal adventurers thematically treading along the Shakespearean era, and bringing along furious neoclassical guitar work. Palantir use costumes and props during live shows, and honestly, it’s completely warranted. Their self-awareness is active and kicking, especially seen in their song The Beast Within, instrumentally a complete delight. Regardless of their theme, Chasing a Dream is a great album, with an intriguing direction lyrically (I’ll allow you to discover it yourself), combined with tried and true power metal goodness.
In many ways, the band remind me of Rhapsody of Fire or Dragonland - a high compliment. Instrumentally, the guitarists can indulge in furious flurries, and the keyboards are beautifully corny, including prolific organs. Chasing a Dream feels like retro power metal, and the vocalist (Marcus) continues the illusion. He sings less auto-tuned than you may hear these days, and is not afraid to yell out notes imperfectly; he sings excellently despite that, a stylistic choice that feels comfortable, although he could’ve used a little extra production. The entire album begs you to bask in the glow of ye olden days, and it is equally entertainingly campy, and boldly nostalgic; it walks the line beautifully, and that certain magic makes for a unique experience.
The songwriting is the least standout bit about Palantir. Fast forwarding towards triumphant chorus glory, they stick to the power metal playbook quite unashamedly, albeit with excellent neoclassical riffs. The songwriting is nothing to write home about, yet instrumentally the band seek to amaze, and amaze they do. In an extra bonus, the album is gorgeously recorded, with pure oomph in the tracks, and much better produced guitars and drums than I could have hoped for, especially for a lesser known band.
Unfortunately, I doubt Palantir’s new album will get much attention, especially considering the excellent power metal albums released this year. There are too many truly unique bands these days to standout with a safe album. Still, Palantir’s gimmicky theatrics is enough to gather interest towards their efforts, a clever tactic. Chasing a Dream is nowhere near one of the best power albums of 2022, and yet there is so much to enjoy. Perhaps a power metal 2022 list would be incomplete without Chasing a Dream.
