DESTINATION’S CALLING – End Of Time (2012)
*
Back in 2007 DESTINATION’S CALLING came out of nowhere (well, in fact from Germany) with their great debut ‘Invisible Walls’ which really surprised me with its high quality and many memorable songs.
The band has spent the last four years preparing their 2nd effort “End Of Time” – they are independent and manage all the artistic aspects, even the artwork – and this has paid off.
For starters, Destination’s Calling was tagged as Melodic Power Euro Metal with their debut, and I agree for the most part although they had a particular way to develop their music.
The new CD shows the band retaining their powerful stamp but exploring new welcomed musical territories and melodies. The strong rhythm section is still there, the lead guitar work and many guitar solos are once again spectacular and Christian Grater is back with his clear voice (supported by very good backing vocals).
But now the band is much more melodious than before. I would’t classify “End Of Time” as Power Metal all. Instead, the CD leans towards Melodic Progressive Metal, mid-paced Prog and some Euro Melodic Hard Rock touches.
Take as reference Cloudscape, Platitude, Allen-Lande, Vanishing Point and nineties Queensryche.
A proof of Destination’s Calling more accesible (yet elaborated) approach is the inclussion of 3 ballads in this new album, intercalated between the rocking tracks which gives the recording a nice flow and variation.
These slow tunes are amongst the best material in the CD, build around fine orchestrations, acoustic guitars and atmospheric passages, being “Dark Poem” my favorite.
One of the things I like the most about the debut are the choruses, and they’re just as good on this album as well. The band simply knows how to create memorable songs, both with the vocals/choruses and the crafty guitar work.
Just check the great “Walking On Thin Ice” which has a really melodic line and a sound pretty close to modern Melodic Hard Rock, the bouncy title track “End Of Time” or the marching “Burning Paradise”.
“End Of Time” is consistently solid CD and a step forward for this band, maintaining a high level of musicality from start to finish.
Destination’s Calling managed to put down a distinctive sound despite the different genre influences delivering an album that contains a variety of songs but making them homogeneous. Songwriting is crucial these days, and Destination’s Calling is up there with the best.
They’re skilled musicians too and their ablities are enhanced by the incredible pristine and polished production for an indie, handled by the lately much in-demand Sascha Paeth who grants a crunchy or crispy sound when needed on each track.
With “End Of Time” Destination’s Calling will please a wide spectrum of rockers, don’t be afraid to taste them if your ears prefer more delicate sounds, you will find them here as well.
01 – Feel The Rain
02 – Soulbound
03 – Revolution In Mind
04 – The Broken Hourglass
05 – Dreams Died On The Road
06 – Another Day
07 – End Of Time
08 – Burning Paradise
09 – Dark Poem
10 – Walking On Thin Ice
11 – The Way Back Home
Christian Gräter – Vocals, Guitar
Markus Göller – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steffen Singler – Bass
Christian Frank – Drums
BUY IT !
www.amazon.de/gp/product/B008AH5FBO
