After the departure of lead singer Lance King, it seemed that Pyramaze lost a big part of their core, but the winds of fortune brought something better to the band, at least for a while. Famed vocalist Matt Barlow, who is known as the true voice of Iced Earth, decided to make a return to the metal scene after five years of absence, a time in which he focused on a career in law enforcement. Luckily for Pyramaze he chose to work with the young band, and that set the wheels in motion for Pyramaze to complete their third full length album entitled “Immortal”.

After a brief intro entitled “Arise”, the band slashes its way into the spotlight with “Year of the Phoenix”. The song begins with a furious entrance from the band only to be followed by Matt Barlow’s thundering roar. Any doubts people might have regarding the shape of Barlow’s voice will be put to rest after the magnificent verses and chorus of the song are performed brilliantly by the seasoned singer.

This song sets the tone for the rest of the album, as the band moves effortlessly from one great performance to another, and all of them are sung masterfully by Barlow. It would’ve been easy for Barlow’s presence to overshadow the rest of the band, but the talent of Pyramaze fires at the listener from every direction. Michael Kammeyer’s guitar work is among the best in power metal and his ability to fuse hammering riffs with soaring melodies is unparalleled. “Ghost Light”, “Touched by the Mara” and “Caramon’s Poem” are all perfect examples of Kammeyer’s incendiary skills. The rest of the band doesn’t fall short and not only do they excel as natural players, they also display a sense of maturity not found very often on young bands.

There is almost no filler to be found on this album, and the few moments where the music’s intensity diminishes is on account of songs that don’t match the energy of the heavier tracks. “Legacy in a Rhyme” is a good mellow ballad, but the song comes off as a definite cruncher, due to its lack of energy and the fact that it’s just not as memorable as the rest of the album.

Overall, Pyramaze has taken full advantage of Matt Barlow’s talent and have delivered a great power metal album that will soon rank among the best of the genre. The production is flawless and the songwriting has evolved into something more polished and complex. But alas, Matt Barlow has left the band to rejoin Iced Earth, something that is certainly not bad news and Pyramaze fans shouldn’t worry about the band’s future. Pyramaze towers above the bloated crowd that power metal is, but this doesn’t come as a surprise; “Immortal” is not just a good album, it’s the evolution of a band that has found its own sound.