Occasionally, just occasionally in this line of work something surprises you big style. Freedom Call’s sixth CD is a case in point. I’ve always been able to take or leave this particular band; I’ve seen them as a distinctively second division group like Metalium, Gaia Epicus or Domine to name but a few but here they have astonished me. This is a wonderful album brim full with great tunes, excellent playing and a hitherto unseen confidence. 

Their bio says that the album boats, “up-tempo, soaring melodic hard rocking compositions, spiralling guitar runs, huge vocal harmonies and bombastic ballads.” For once, the hyperbole is actually accurate! It has taken a long time in coming but founder members Chris Bay and Daniel Zimmermann and new members Lars Rettkowitz and Armin Donderer have really come up with the goods this time. Everywhere on the album you will find a great tune (except for the obligatory intro.) 

Nowhere is this better illustrated than on Mr. Evil, which is in many ways the cheesiest Helloween song ever but is utterly brilliant in its simplicity. A deep voice booms, “Hello, Mr Evil,” at the start and recurs throughout the song as does the irresistible chorus which has a wonderful delay that takes a number of listens to get used to and a groovy solo – what more could anyone ask? That’s just for starters – there is, as Jimmy Cricket used to say, more. 

Bouncing around the record, I’d like to draw your attention to the closing song Far Away, which is unfeasibly catchy and also features, somewhat remarkably, what sound like bagpipes! It reminds this reviewer of Freedom Call’s Teutonic compatriots Die Toten Hosen in some ways with its punky attitude. My Dying Paradise is a more straight forward hard rocking seemingly sci-fi orientated effort. 

United Alliance is another great track. It’s one of those self-referential songs that power metal acts like nearly as much as your average rapper. As with Let the Hammer Fall and for instance, Iron Savior, the song tells us how great the band are but also the audience as well. Helpfully they also remind us that, “We are Freedom Call.”  

This is one of those CD’s that doesn’t really have a duff track and even the weakest song has merit (in this case it’s the ballad Worlds of Endeavour) and equally still finds the time to go a bit beyond the confines of the genre. For instance, Light up the Sky at times sounds like Delilah by Tom Jones (I kid you not), then has the kind of vocal made popular by Russ Mael of Sparks and then becomes a power metal sing-along. As Tony the Tiger would doubtless say, “grrrreat!” 

Thus far 2007 has, in my humble opinion, been a pretty good year. Freedom Call have just made it even better.

Let us know your views on 'Dimensions'

Track Listing

Demons Dance
Innocent World
United Alliance
Mr. Evil
Queen Of My World
Light Up The Sky
Words Of Endeavour
Blackened Sun
Dimensions
My Dying Paradise
Magic Moments
Far Away

 Line Up

Chris Bay - Vocals
Daniel Zimmermann - Drums
Armin Donderer - Bass
Lars Rettkowitz - Guitar