As mentioned in the recent review of Wind Rose's, "Trollslayer, Italian metal bands have been gaining a lot more attention in recent years. There's definitely a skew towards power metal too, whether that be Wind Rose themselves, or the comedic take on the genre with Nanowar Of Steel. One such group who have been valiantly flying the power metal flag in Italy over the past decade has been Frozen Crown, who formed in 2017 and unleashed their debut album, "The Fallen King" the next year. They've continued to work hard and push on through the pandemic and lineup changes and now in 2024, their fifth album, and first for Napalm Records, entitled "War Hearts" is upon us.

Frozen Crown doesn't waste any time establishing the vibe and direction of the album, as the title track gets things underway very quickly by having the chorus burst into the ears of the listener. It contains one of the most memorable hooks on the album and boasts some guitar virtuosity, which works hand in hand to appeal to all aspects of power metal fans. One can immediately tell that Giada Etro is in superb voice and often she's front and centre, leading the charge, as several songs begin this way, though not enough to become formulaic.

There's a lot to enjoy on "War Hearts." Some of the tracks are so fast that you can almost hear the blisters forming on the guitarists' fingers, and there is plenty of atmosphere to embellish the feelings behind the songs. This is the case for "I Am The Wind," certainly one of the highlights of the record that is filled to the brim with passionate performances and promises to stick with the listener for a good time to come. Excitement is also in full effect throughout the album, perhaps best utilised on "Bloodlines," which is absolutely tremendous. As fierce as "War Hearts" can be, it closes magnificently with "Ice Dragon," an epic that features a wonderful variety of movements and emotions, invoking folk music when the vocals first come in, and lots of energy in other segments.

Unquestionably, there's a lot more to like on "War Hearts" than there is to dislike, but the problem it has isn't to do with a lack of excitement, but rather a reliance on it, which is to say, the speed element. Power metal has roots in thrash, so it's to be expected to hear fast songs, but around half the album's songs depend on this trait, so much so that it becomes an annoying formula. It does work well on tracks like "Night Of The Wolf," but by "Edge Of Reality," it feels a little soulless. This isn't to say that the super-fast songs are bad, just that there are too many of them, and it becomes too much of a good thing.

Power metal fans have had a lot to celebrate this year, with truly excellent albums from Firewind and Dragony to name only two, and Frozen Crown's fifth album is something they should definitely pay attention to. The talent, the atmosphere, the excitement, it's all here in droves for fans to enjoy, with so many good points. "War Hearts" also rescues itself halfway through, just as it starts to veer into Dragonforce territory, but by that point, there's been a little dent put in the side by the barrage of speed. This will please fans of the band, and most fans of the genre, and while it's not disappointing, it could have been the best of their career with a little more variety.