So does anybody remember AFFLICTED anymore? The Swedes, who had started out as Death Metal-band, but then turned towards Power Metal and went under? Well, their bassist Philip van Segebaden is back, with DEFENDER.

Well, what else could you expect from a band with that name? Exactly: Power Metal. Together with session-musicians like drummer Peter Nagy (MÖRK GRYNING) and the vocalist of the second AFFLICTED-album Michael van de Graaf, van Segebaden has created a welcome mix between Heavy Metal and Power Metal, thankfully not in the HAMMERFALL-vein with "They Came Over The High Pass".

Swift mid-tempo, as on "The Siege Of Armengar" or "Maze Of The Minotaur" can be found just as well as the epic/monumental "High Himalayan Valley", which offers everything between thundering double-bass and epic slowness, crowned by a wonderful riff, or "Dragon", which could also have been written by IRON MAIDEN.

As they are different from the majority both musically and vocally and also the quality is right, all Power/Heavy Metal-fans should give "They Came Over The High Pass" a chance!