Opener Locking Up The Gates is a brief synth intro getting you into the mood for the nordic tale that is to come. Twisting My Tail then comes flying in thanks to a killer drum frill from Anders Johansson before a harmonic minor tinged riff from Englund. Mikael Holm soars in with impressive aplomb before settling into a gallop rhythm for the verse. The track is full of nordic charm, great melodies and a energy level that doesn't let up throughout. Englund throws in some very extended soloing, all in the neo-classical vein and its rather killer to say the least.

Northman starts off with Mistheria giving it some major chops on his keyboard before calming down for good melodic verse before kicking into straight power metal for the verse. Holm's vocals again sound killer throughout this track - full of that clean crisp Scandinavian edge that is so appealing and compliments this kind of music especially well - the chorus is very catchy but its the power shown on the verses that really make him shine. The guitar solo is more melodic here with a nice delay to thicken the sound for the slower lines before the tempo picks up and Englund showcases his excellent picking chops. Mistheria throws in another cool solo before a Maiden esque harmony motif leads us to another round of solo trade offs. This chorus leads us home to wrap up this fine track.

Retallion starts in the same sort of vein as Yngwie's material on recent albums such as Alchemy or War To End All Wars. A punishing fast riff starts if the track before going into a great verse that has a superb quirky melody line, think of it as a cross between Queen and Yngwie (in regards to the vocal delivery and lyrics)! The chorus sees the vocals soar over a half time feel before a guitar motif that sounds a little like Randy Rhoad's classic outro solo on Mr Crowley (probably down to the cycle of fourths backing underneath) before heading into a neo classical arpeggio section, this then changes again for the prog tinged middle section with some even more quirky vocal lines! A track that jumps all over the place, very original in this respect and it works yet again.

Anders Johansson goes nuts on the drums before this We Will Be Immortals gets into its groove. There are quite a few tempo changes throughout and some very good solos and riffs. The chorus is pretty majestic with a strong melody. The track slows right down for the bridge before another killer riff kicks in. Englund throws in another strong solo this time complemented with some nice harmonies on the slower passages before the chorus kicks back in.

Call Of The Wild sees the tempo drop significantly for its delicate short medieval esque opening gambit, a short rest bite before Wild Winter Nights kicks in with another superb verse - Holm's melodies manage to combine memorable patterns yet making sure it never delves to tacky pop proportions. The chorus is just killer with the emotion in Holm's vocal being truly captivating - if you dig Johansson's 'The Last Viking' you will love this. The solo section sees quite a few rhythmic changes over which Englund gives us some frenzied whammy bar phrases before MIstheria gives his fingers a major work out. Englund then comes back in with a very YJM arpeggio section, this is then topped by the glorious chorus taking you on a ride into some dark Scandinavian forest.

In The World Of Illusions has very straight metal riffing which is not so far away from System X era Impelliterri. The strong vocal melodies are again here in force making nice use of split harmonisation. The chorus is pretty ordinary here compared to other material on offer, but the verse has a strong musical hook. There is a very strong breakdown just before the solo which shows Englund offering some serious speed. This then becomes more melodic with some great work before Mistheria begins another set of killer trade offs.

The fast riffing continues on Ride Into The Skies which sees a dirty opening riff before heading into a very traditional metal verse. I must be honest and say this track does not really do a lot for me, as it all seems a little too cliched.

To close the album we get a double track in the form of Messiah The War Machine / Evolution. The first half is in the same vein as what it done very well throughout the album, its a fast tempo piece with Mistheria trading some great solos with classy playing from Englund. Evolution sees a great merging of guitar and keyboards with Mistheria providing a jumpy melody. The tension in the track just builds throughout making for some create tension. Vocally it takes a lot of twists all of which is handled ably by Holm.

The album is seen out by a "concerto" piece from Englund entitled Aurora Borealis: A New Beginning, home to some strong melodies and restraint play. The only damper is that his tone sounds very pushed to the back here, I would have liked to have heard it more up front. This does not detract from the musical beauty within though.

Well to sum this album up the first thing that hit me is how much the band have come on since their debut. Vocalist Mikael Holm is a real find, but Englund must receive heady praise for writing this album. Its crisp Nordic charm is something that is probably an acquired taste, but the majority of readers here would benefit from giving this album a chance. The performances are superb throughout, the songs take centre stage here with the musicians being there to make the package stronger. All in all 'The Second Coming' totally took me by suprise and recommend it wholeheartedly.

Hot Spots: Locking Up The Gates, Northman, Wild Winter Nights, Messiah The War Machine / Evolution, Aurora Borealis: A New Beginning.

Rating: 86%