Finnish power-metal outfit Cardiant, released their new album Mirrors last month, and well, for a band with almost 20 years experience, I would have expected a lot better. The simple fact is, and with no malice intended, this album is just boring, mundane, completely unmemorable, the positives can be measured in seconds as opposed to minutes, with only the faintest flicker of quality across the entirety of its 51-minute runtime.
It is an awkward mash of power metal, hard rock, acoustic rock and glam rock, all thrown together in some vague hope that something more tangible will form, but instead it sounds of a band struggling with their own identity, trying to act in too forward thinking a manner, when really they should continue to build further upon their previous successes
The album is, in part, let down by its production. The impression is that Mirrors could have something grander sounding, but has been majorly diluted by poor production values, that leave it sounding more like pub rock than stadium anthems.
That said, there some positives. The talent displayed is undeniable, the range of vocals used, the solos are used well, and the mix of guest vocals adds interesting new dimensions and dynamics and to hardcore fans this may be enough.
