Wizards’ Hymn are a new symphonic metal band from Japan, fronted by female vocalist Kimiko Shirao. 

Musically they remind me of Rhapsody with plenty of keyboards and a melodic tinge to the songs, whilst at the same time remaining capable of  rockin' hard with some great guitar work by Tsutomo Aruga and a powerhouse rhythm section provided by drummer Kensuke Imai and bassist Toshimasa Kato. 

The vocals are a bit of a letdown in my opinion though. Whilst Kimiko’s English is certainly a million times better than my Japanese, it is hard to understand many of the lyrics, even when following with the words in the CD booklet. The tone of her voice is also not as rich as someone like Andrea Datwyler from Lunatica and for me this has a detrimental effect on the overall sound of the album. 

As with many symphonic rock / metal albums, there’s some great epic passages and the songs themselves sound really well structured and played, often at breakneck speed – just check out the middle section of “Through The Wilderness” which shows their musicianship to be comparable to pretty much anyone else in the genre. 

A quick word of deserving praise for the production job, which the band handled themselves and which certainly keeps things well balanced throughout, allowing each different instrument to get a fair crack of the whip and nothing gets lost in the mix. 

Unfortunately, for me the vocals are the defining factor on the overall sound and quality of an album and pretty much determine whether I like it or not and I’m afraid I just cannot get on with the vocals on this album, which is a shame as all other aspects of it are good.

Let us know your views on 'Hymnal'

Track List

Wings of Time
Olden Story Tells
The Glory of the Desert
Firestorm
Through the Wilderness
The Circle of Fate
A Drop in the Ocean
Live My Life
Sun in the Night
The Call from the Unknown

Line Up

Kimiko Shirao - Vocals
Tsutomu Aruga - Guitars
Toshimasa Kato - Bass
Kensuke Imai - Drums