Metal Underground.com

Granted, power metal is known more for high falsetto vocals and fretboard-shredding guitar solos than it is for memorable riffs. Even by those standards, Emerald Sun's sophomore album "Regeneration" can't help but feel a bit inconsequential.

Granted, this Greek band has plenty going on in terms of instrumental talent. Tracks like "Chasing The Wind" and "Starchild" feature excellent solos and instrumental breaks from guitarists Johnnie Athanasiadi and Pavlos Georgiadis. Singer Stelios Tsakirides' vocals sometimes feel a little thin on tracks like "We Won't Fall" and "Fantasmagoria," but he does well on slower tracks like "Chasing The Wind."

Drummer Bill Kanakis has a slightly heavier approach than a lot of power metal drummers (on the band's website, he cites King Diamond and Megadeth as his favorite bands). Still, even with that extra push behind the drum kit, there's a definite lack of memorable melodies. The slow "Speak Of The Devil" opens with an excellent riff, with Kanakis' drums having an almost thrash feel in the chorus. "Where Angels Fly" also has an excellent opening, which has a fair amount of weight to it. Other than that, though, there isn't a lot to really sink your teeth into in terms of instrumental melodies.

Additionally, there's a heavy dose of '80s pop sheen applied, courtesy of keyboardist Sefhs Giolbasis, which sometimes makes the disc feel dated. And the less said about the silly "Planet Metal" and the cornball cover of the '80s pop track "Holding out for a Hero," the better.

Though there are some cool solos and a couple of genuinely heavy moments, Emerald Sun's "Regeneration" is likely to be a far too lightweight affair for all but the most dedicated power metal fans.