Phoenix Reign, named for the mythological bird that rises from the ashes of the flames that consumed it, has a tale of their own just as fabled as that of the creature which shares its name. Born on the isles of Greece nearly a decade ago, the founding members of Phoenix Reign took their combination of colorful Mediterranean-styled music and forceful power metal and began their long journey from the sun-drenched islands of the gods to the man-made skyline of New York City.

Formed in 1998 by guitarist Billy Chrissochos and bassist Chris Pollatos, both were not only accomplished musicians, but schooled in the arts. Billy, an artist with work experience in film and radio, and Chris, a skilled pianist, pooled their talents and decided to mesh their love of classical and metal music together. The seeds that would become Phoenix Reign were planted.

Within time, they would need a second guitarist to round out their powerhouse sound, and they would find it in Kostas Psarros, an expert musician in his own right. His résumé was already filled with impressive gigs such as playing for Greek superstar George Dalaras at the Metropolitan Opera House. Drummer Wayne Noon was added to the roster shortly after, and from that point, the band was ready to take their sound to the streets, and hit the pavements of New York.

The club scene would unearth some propitious fortunes for Phoenix Reign. They would build their reputation opening for legends such as ex-Dokken guitarist George Lynch’s group Lynch Mob and Kip Winger, and establishing their local reputation by opening for homegrown favorites such as Gothic Knights. In spite of the growing success of the newly born Phoenix Reign, it was clear that a change of direction was needed, and after finding a voice in their friend Theresa Gaffney, they knew that their unique brand of power metal had at last found that final element that set them apart from the others.

From there, Phoenix Reign continued to adhere to the legendary status of their name, and burst through the local scene with emphasis. Their audience would spring from places unexpected: to being sponsored by Budweiser at a local Latin-based nightclub, to the Long Island Music Festival, to becoming college radio favorites at universities such as St. John’s and Hartwick. A high point for the band would come in March of 2006, when the band performed during Hellenic Independence weekend, a Greek holiday. Paying tribute to their roots as only Phoenix Reign can, the band set the crowd at the Continental afire with their formidable onstage presence, capping off the night with their heroic account of historic crusades, "Constantinople 1453". Indeed, it was time for Phoenix Reign to capture their mythical sound on record.

Phoenix Reign hit the studios, holing up in Queens at the renowned Spin Studios, which has been the birthplace for albums from such New York idols as Sick of it All and The Misfits. For almost a year, the band poured their heart and soul into the making of their first album, and in 2007, Destination Unknown would finally reach its end by finding its way to the CDs players of their fans, and future fans to come.

The opening track, "The Gates of Bosphorous", is a short instrumental piece, less than a minute long. It begins with the sounds of marching feet and crashing waves, giving way to anathematic guitar work, then the faint sounds of a gong end the track.

Ripping guitars and heavy drums open the second track, "Transcendent". Theresa’s voice is heard for the first time here, coming in right at the 30-second mark. Her vocals are both strong and sweet. "I’m much too strong, too much a warrior!" she sings passionately. Definitely the classic metal tune of defying the odds and sticking to your guns at any cost. Theresa’s voice is a little deadpan during the verses, but this only emphasizes the strength of the chorus. Some lightning-fast guitar work ushers in a tight band jam. A break in the music, and Theresa’s voice returns in a warped manner, courtesy of a voice box. "I will never be defeated by your injustice!" she vows, as her vocals grow stronger towards the end. Her final screams at the end punctuate this point assuredly.

Track three, "Masquerade Angel", starts off with fade-in guitar work, with some awesome drum work by Wayne. Theresa’s velvety vocals come in, singing of being under the spell of a deceitful person. Although there is not much to the chorus, its simplicity nonetheless makes for a catchy hook. Theresa’s vocals combine the emotions of pain and apathy as she sings this tune of thwarted love. An expert guitar solo in the middle, bringing us back to Theresa’s ominous warning: "if you follow these delusions, it’ll happen all over again." Her voice is filled with this disillusionment as she sings the final chorus.

Delicate acoustic guitars open the fourth track, "Forgotten", with heavier guitars and pounding drums not too far behind. Searing guitar licks bring forth Theresa’s double vocals. Her voice runs the gamut from taunting and teasing, to confident and headstrong. The fiery guitar work dominates the solo. Theresa really cuts loose vocally towards the end of this song.

Fuzzy, low guitar sounds start off track five, "Another Night Alone", then a scorching guitar lick introduces a full-on band jam. Theresa’s vocals are dark and morose. This song opens up the band’s live shows, and I can see where this intense tune can really get the crowd off to a good headbang. Fantastic power metal chords coupled with Theresa’s mighty voice leading to a catchy chorus indeed makes for a great opener to a live show. The immediate change-ups between choruses and verses keep the listener on their toes. It is the quintessential power metal song---intricate guitar licks, commanding vocals, and prolonged in time length, clocking in at just a bit over 7 minutes. This song ends on soft guitar notes and Theresa’s melancholic vocalizations.

Sounds of a clock ticking, with guitar riffs in time with the tick-tock gives us the sixth track, "Open Your Eyes". Theresa’s voice is solid on this song. She belts it out on the verse, "open up your eyes, tears are gone". The band totally goes ballistic on the instrumental part! All of them play with a frenzy as if they were being chased with whips of fire! Then it winds back down to the tick-tock rhythm and Theresa’s voice restores order to the frenetic chaos. She lets out a heartfelt vocal that lingers on over energetic guitar licks, her voice returning softly at the end.

Track seven, "Run Now", features steady drumming from Wayne, and dueling twin guitars introduce some insane vocals from Theresa! Her voice runs amuck on this tune, bouncing from fervent high screams to seriously suave vocals. All the while, the band matches the pace with their quick and heavy riffs. This is especially so during the guitar solo, where Billy and Kostas trade off some ferocious licks. Wayne supplements them both with his rapid drumbeats. The speed of the song slows down slightly at a point, but loses not an iota of authority. After a satisfyingly long band jam, Theresa jumps back in. The song ends on her vocals singing the song’s title.

Acoustic guitars sprinkled with exotic flavor take us to the mellow tune, "Wherever You Are". Theresa’s voice is smooth and calming here. Her vocals grow stronger as the music takes a faintly heavier turn. The verses unwind again after the impassioned chorus. "Don’t leave me in suspense", Theresa pleads as the guitar solo arrives. This is one of Phoenix Reign’s "lighter" songs, but it’s a far cry from a "sappy ballad" as you can get. Theresa’s plaintive vocals burn in our memory as the song comes to a close.

Smart, snappy drumming and sharp guitar hooks lay down the foundation for the ninth and title track, "Destination Unknown". Theresa begins to sing of revolution in her assertive voice. Crunchy guitar riffs are layered over her humming. Hers is the voice of a determined woman as she sings of taking over the reins. "Take it every day, doing it my way", she declares. Guitar licks flit from one speaker to the other before the blistering solo. Theresa’s voice comes back for more, taking us for a ride through the fast track that is Phoenix Reign. She sings the final line, holding the note for the band to catch up with her so that they can all close out on the cue, the last two words: "the end!"

"It’s over now…" Theresa’s voice stands alone to bring us the tenth track, "Moving On"; her compelling vocals summoning the band for another heavy tune. "You’ve gotta keep breathing", she encourages as she sings of closing a negative chapter in her life. "As long as you’re alive, there’s always hope", this lyric providing the silver-lining message of the song. Her voice is chant-like before the solo kicks in, the chants returning afterwards. Theresa sings with unrestraint as the song comes to a close.

Faint roaring sounds transitioning into striking native Greek instrumentation and mournful bells give us the final track, "Constantinople 1453 (On the Eve of the Fall)". This epic song pays homage to the Greek ancestry of Phoenix Reign, with native instruments such as the tzoura and kanonaki being used throughout. Churning guitar riffs set the tone for Theresa to sing the tales of ancient Greek battles. Her voice is wild with abandon as she sings of going to war. It is pompous with bravado as she sings of facing the unknown ahead of her. It is determined with courage as she sings of fighting. The images of slain bodies and fallen empires come to life before our eyes through the bombastic music and dulcet voices of Theresa and backing vocalist Melissa Iacono. The indigenous Greek instruments and references to Hades only give this all the more historical flair. At one point we even hear the clanging of swords and torrent of screaming voices, the thunderous clap clearing it all away and making us only aware of the turbulent guitar solo. After all that, the music calms down a little before Theresa takes the lead and continues the tale. "Like the phoenix, we’ll rise again!" she promises as the native Greek instruments close out the song and the album.

Overall opinion: Phoenix Reign is a true testament to the characteristics that embody their name. Their sound rises above what the mainstream world considers the "ashes" of old-school metal, and rules it with an iron fist. Their sound is a blending of tried-and-true classic metal, joined with the modern uniqueness of femme-metal. Like fellow American power metal contemporaries like Jacob’s Dream or Twilight Odyssey, Phoenix Reign puts a new spin on traditional metal sounds. Where their European counterparts play by the book and stay faithful to the basic ingredients of power metal, the American power-metallers take a few more risks that may or may not pay off, like replacing the cookie-cutter high-pitched vocalists for someone with a lower tone. Phoenix Reign takes a double-down gamble on this one with Theresa in this manner. She is not the standard operatic singer that is common within both power and femme-metal bands, but this is a trait that also works to their advantage. While power metal bands tend to lean on the crutch of the Dickinson or Halford sound-alike, and the femme-metal bands tend to run each other over in the hopes of finding the next Tarja Turunen or Amy Lee, Phoenix Reign instead recruits a singer that stands out because she does not have the ultra-feminine high vocal range. Theresa’s voice may not be classically trained to deliver the high notes like Vibeke Stene, or it may not be the sensuous deep pitch of Helen Vogt, but she is distinctive nonetheless. Her voice stands somewhere in the middle, low and pleasing to the ear, but also able to belt out a scream when the occasion arises. She is unquestionably an emotional singer---she cries out, her voice alive with confidence; she chants, her voice meditative and soothing; she makes you feel her pain with tortured groans that sound like her heart is being ripped out through her vocal chords. The band complements this with their intricate and expressive solos. And like most power metal bands, their lyrics are thematic and take you on a sonic journey to places long forgotten and images vibrant and longing to be seen. While some bands write of dragons and wizards, or others of historical or Biblical events, Phoenix Reign hearkens to their Greek heritage and incorporates mythological references throughout their music. This culminates on the final track, a vivid epic of the significant Greek battle of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire. Phoenix Reign is a fine addition to both worlds of femme-metal and power metal. If you are new to the femme-metal genre, Phoenix Reign is as good a band as any to cut your teeth on. They may also appeal to those femme-metal fans who are a little fed up with the gothic rudiments that seems to almost be a criterion of most femme-metal bands today. If you are a fan of power metal, Phoenix Reign satisfies your appetite for noodly guitar riffs, fantasy-themed lyrics, and domineering vocals. Or if you are just someone who likes the sounds of early metal like Iron Maiden, but have enough of an open mind to accept "newer" elements such as a female voice, Phoenix Reign is certain to give surety that the conventional metal sound is far from dead. At this time, Phoenix Reign is limited to shows on the East Coast of the U.S., but if they were to have the stroke of luck to become an opening act for one of the many European femme-metal bands paying visits to the States, it would certainly be a stepping stone to finding their fanbase not only throughout the rest of the country, but across the Atlantic as well.

For more information, visit the band’s website: http://www.phoenixreign.com

8.5/10