Of course, this band would probably take comparisons to Helloween as a compliment. After all, drummer Dan Zimmerman is better known for his spot in Gamma Ray, a band founded and led by Kai Hansen, who used to be in Helloween. There are definite similarities between the two bands, but Freedom Call comes across with material that feels 'lighter,' -- a happier Helloween, if you'll pardon the expression.

In fact, through the frenetic double bass from Zimmerman, the melodic leads from guitarist/vocalist Chris Bay and lead guitarist Sascha Gerstner, and the layered chorus vocals found all over this CD, there's often an uplifting quality to the music on "Crystal Empire." Every once in a while, it borders on cheesy, especially in tandem with the fantasy story that provides the lyrics to this concept album, but Freedom Call manages to straddle that fine line pretty well.

The story behind the album is a typical good versus evil fantasy scheme. Except for a few laughably 'evil' lines, the lyrics are presented largely from the 'good' point of view. That can be a bit confusing at times if you dont know the storyline or have the lyrics at hand, because the band does a good job portraying different emotions through the music. Case in point, the presentation of the King of the Crystal Empire he's actually the hero of the story, but he's first introduced in a creepy growl. Later, the heavy burden of being the King is discussed in "Pharao," when the band drops out of its double bass pedal driven speed metal mode to whip out a wicked, slow power metal groove.

The usual Freedom Call mode is best exhibited in, "Farewell," which features a happy, bouncy main melody that wouldn't seem out of place in an entertainment program aimed at 6-year olds. However, the best song on the disc, musically speaking, comes when the band merges the upbeat and the darker tones in a 7:34 opus called, "The Quest." The song starts out in a bleak, piano-based mode while the hardships faced by the hero on his quest are explained. As he approaches his destination, a hopeful, symphonic note is struck, helped along by the band's chorus vocals, just before the power chords kick in to signal the arrival of the enemy, "I'm your master, master of the night Evil Pastor, devil in disguise." But the danger passes, and that hopeful feeling is the emotion that prevails, both in this song, and for the album as a whole.