My first thought after hearing "The Fiction Maze" for the first time is that this band is very similar to Blind Guardian, especially in the vocals since Jens Carlsson sounds like a Hansi Kürsch clone. It is determined and heavy power metal that lays the ground for "The Fiction Maze", but it also shows some depth in the lyrics, like saying that finding the real truth in life can be like finding a way out of a maze. So that these guys has the quality and the experience to make a stunning album is no question about it.
Most of the material on "The Fiction Maze" is very much the same. It is powerful heavy metal that easily gets you pumped up. Nothing wrong with that kind of music, but I wished that they would have put in more variety in this record so it does not wears out as fast as it does. There are a couple of slightly slower songs in this album, but they still act like they are bigger than what they are, which makes the record more monotonic than what it could have been. Besides, the only great song out of the slower songs is "Heathen", and together with "InSect" and "One Lifetime", it is the only song that really stands out from this album.
Other from the overall monotonous sound, there really is no weaknesses with this album. It is a hard hitting album that will definitely please every power metal fan. And yes, it sounds a lot like Blind Guardian, but it is original enough for me to see it as a own piece and not a complete rip off. But the big question is if it was worth the 8 year long wait. Since I have heard very little from Persuader's previous works, I cannot compare if "The Fiction Maze" is on the same level as the band's three other records. What I do know is that "The Fiction Maze" contains a very high quality of music, so give it a try.
Songs worthy of recognition: InSect, One Lifetime, Heathen
Rating: 8,5/10 Wars
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