If one didn't know better, it would be easy to assume that
Ride the Sky was a reissue of an old power metal recording from the '80s. This late-2009 release certainly sounds like it could have been recorded around 1983, 1984, or 1985. But
Ride the Sky is no reissue, and the fact is that
At Vance didn't exist during power metal's '70s/'80s heyday; the band's original lineup wasn't formed until 1998.
At Vance have had their share of personnel changes along the way; on
Ride the Sky, the 2009 lineup consisted of
Rick Altzi on lead vocals,
Wolfman on bass, and founding member
Olaf Lenk on guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. But their sound hasn't changed much, and the power metal recipe on
Ride the Sky is best described as
Helloween meets
Iron Maiden meets
Holy Diver-era
Ronnie James Dio (with elements of
Deep Purple at times --
Altzi's gruff vocals definitely have a
David Coverdale-ish quality). It's a derivative recipe, certainly; nothing occurs on
Ride the Sky that power metallers weren't doing 25 years earlier, and
At Vance remain oblivious to post-'80s developments in metal. But while melodic tracks such as
"Wishing Well," "Farewell," and
"End of Days" aren't exactly groundbreaking, that doesn't mean that this 48-minute CD isn't enjoyable. Although
At Vance's power metal classicism offers few surprises, the tunes are spirited and well-crafted on
Ride the Sky. ~ Alex Henderson
