Greek melodic metallers InnerWish has made a strong comeback from a six-year dry spell on its fifth full-length self-titled release. The sextet delivers 13 tracks of metallic power metal delivered with ferocious riffs, bombastic orchestrations and soaring choirs with anthemic choruses. Opener “Roll The Dice” immediately rips into some killer Judas Priest/Primal Fear riffing decorated with strong vocal harmonies on the chorus. New singer George Eikosipentakis displays a raspy Dio-esque range that is powerful and dominant. The humongous, chantable chorus of “Modern Babylon” is a fist-in-the-air Hammerfall moment if there ever was one. The huge vocal choir on the chorus of “Machines Of Fear” gives off an Iced Earth vibe, while “Rain Of A Thousand Years” is a grandiose display of epic power metal with many layers of musicality in the vein of Iced Earth and Blind Guardian. 

From the majestic Middle Eastern vibe of “Serenity” to the acoustic guitar ballad of “Cross The Line” to the Nightwish-inspired album closer “Tame The Seven Seas,” InnerWish has all the bases covered. At 13 tracks and over an hour in duration might seem too much in this short attention span of an era, however, each track maintains a high level of intensity and never becomes boring. There’s currently a good crop of power metal bands coming out of Greece, and InnerWish fits the bill exceptionally well.