Before Dragonforce hit the big time with their new album, most critics had declared power metal on its last leg. Now that the genre has been given a much needed jump start, it's time for a new wave of revolutionaries to rise up to the new level that either has or will become the new standard for power metal.

Enter Outworld.

Although Outworld has been around since 1997, it has only recently begun to surface, not only on a local level, but also a national, and even international, level. With their debut scheduled for worldwide release and the band already writing their second album, they're showing no signs of slowing down, and for good reason. To say that Outworld's self titled debut is amazing would be an understatement.

Right from the beginning, the music hits hard, fast and heavy and stays such without overexertion or repetition. Wonderfully rich riffs are complimented by active drumming, masterful keyboards and intelligent bass lines, all of which blend and transform from one section to the next in unbroken unity. Songs such as "City of the Dead" will whisk you away to a new world of wonder and excitement while others will transform even the most conservative of people into headbanging lunatics. This is the epitome of what power metal shall become in the fantastic rebirth of one of the oldest genres in extreme music.

Then there are the solos.

For those of you that love your solos, Outworld is ready to deliver them. Not only are all the musicians undisputed virtuosos, but they dish out a plethora of instrumental wizardries; whether it be guitar, bass or keyboards, you're bound to be amazed and awestruck at the speed and proficiency as well as the musical integrity of each and every solo. Unlike most power metal acts, Outworld has but one guitarist: Underground shred hero Rusty Cooley. Renowned by many as one of the world's fastest shredders, Cooley makes good on those claims with monstrously fast solos. And the funny thing is, once you think he's reached his top speed, he only goes faster.

There's very little left to possibly say about this album; the bottom line is that this is simply a fantastic record that should by all means find its way into the collection of every single metalhead on the planet. (9/10)