Recently reduced to a foursome, with the departure of Blind Guardian guitarist Marcus Siepen (his bandmate/drummer Frederik Ehmke remains), hasn't slowed Germany's Sinbreed. This is their third full-length. Is it melodic speed metal or speedy power metal? Does it matter? No, just another fine example of blazing, Teutonic metal, driven by double piston bass drum action. Herbie Langhan's hoarse voice is still an acquired taste (similar to countrymen Chris Boltendahl, Grave Digger, and Udo Dirckschneider, U.D.O./ex-Accept). Paradoxically, on “The Voice”, Langhan opens with a piercing high note, unlike any other on the disc. Pick of the litter is the rhythmic pummeling of a blistering “Across The Great Divide”, although the opening “Creation Of Reality” is pretty fleet of foot too. A gritty, headbanging “Behind A Mask” gets both heads bobbing and toes tapping. 

Things take a different turn, with a spirited, albeit jangly “Moonlit Night”. Initially, the start-stop title track sounds as if there's something mechanically wrong with the disc, but quickly locks into another fretboard burning exercise. However, that's nothing compared to the piano laden ballad “At The Gate”, a prog tinged “The Riddle”, which owes a debt to Symphony X, particularly the chorus, and the disc closing “On The Run”, while lively, has a bit of seas chantey in it, complete with undercurrent of whiny (bagpipe? accordion?) instrumentation. Guess they're trying to break free from the "German Metal" stereotype... but why?