Riddled with catchy melodies and Chris Siemons’ elaborate guitars, "Bloodangel’s Cry" commands the listener’s attention with the opening track and never lets up. Ji-In’s unique vocals also add to that new core sound. She doesn’t have Floor Jansen’s unabashed power or Sharon den Adel’s graceful range, but she still delivers an undeniable energy and easily makes each song likable without sounding drowned out by the Latin choir or devoid of emotion.

What’s interesting about this CD is, if you listen to the lyrics closely, it’s a concept album. It’s about a girl who is forced to make a crucial decision – and how she questions her choice and learns to live with the consequences. (For more information, click the following link and go to page 17: http://www.silverleafbooks.com/PandorasGate_May07.pdf) Krypteria doesn’t hammer this concept too heavily into the album, though. They instead focus on the power and enthusiasm of their music, leaving the listener to discover the tale as it unfolds.

The songs with the most power metal influence on are, of course, the up-tempo songs. "All Systems Go" kick-starts the album with blistering riffs and drums as well as Frank Strumvoll’s groovy bass. "Time to Bring the Pain," a more mid-tempo rocker, still packs a punch with Siemons’ solo lacing through the bridge. The best of the power metal romps, however, is the bombastic "Sweet Revenge." The band is at its sharpest, with shredding guitars and the spine-tingling choir. Ji-In sounds more lively – and angry! – on this song than anywhere else on the album.

Other songs lean more on Krypteria’s symphonic side. "Somebody Save Me," the album’s catchy single, displays a nice contrast between a lonely piano and steady but driving gothic rhythms. Ji-In’s trembling vocals on "The Promise" add to the uncertainty in the lyrics, and the song is further amplified by lofty choral chants and a penetrating soundscape. However, "The Night All Angels Cry" is the definitive track of "Bloodangel’s Cry." It’s a power ballad at its essence, with emotive guitars and vocals layered over soaring strings and a tempo change during the bridge that makes the song even more endearing.

Krypteria also tries their hand at a femme metal standard: The epic long song. They close out the album with "At the Gates of Retribution," a modest ten-minute merging of all the components that make up Krypteria’s sound. It has some goods twists and turns, from acoustic guitars and a somber violin to an ominous piano-choir interlude. However, the song gets a bit slow in parts. It’s a good effort, but "Retribution" might have been a better song if it was two or three minutes shorter.

Also, a few songs on "Bloodangel’s Cry" suffer from clichéd lyrics. For metal fans who rely on good lyrics in order to enjoy the music they love, they might be annoyed by the triteness – and, at times, corniness – of some songs. Blazers like "Scream" and "I Can’t Breathe" may fizzle a little, and the rolling "Lost" is almost laughable. Other fans who tune more into the memorable riffs and melodies may not find this important, though, and will bang their heads along to every beat.

That’s really what "Bloodangel’s Cry" boils down to: It’s a fun metal album by a band with a talented frontwoman and lots of potential. And in some ways, you can’t really ask for much more than that. This is recommended for fans of Nightwish’s most recent material, Within Temptation, and Edenbridge – and it’s not a bad choice for anyone who is just starting to listen to female-fronted metal bands.

8 / 10