In 2000 the Finnish band Excalion was founded by Jarmo "Jappe" Myllyvirta (keyboardist), Henri Pirkkalainen (drums), and Tero Vaaja (bass guitar). They began by playing cover songs of Stratovarius and Nightwish. In 2005 they released their first album Primal Exhale. After some changes in the line-up - Jarmo Pääkkönen (vocals) and Veso Nupponen (Guitar) joined the band - Excalion was ready to write the second album: Waterlines.

This album contains eleven songs that vary between power metal and epic metal. Especially Pääkkönen makes a huge impression with his powerful metal voice, because whether he sings ballads or fast songs, he has a great throat. The album starts like a typical metal album with the up-tempo ´The Wingman´, a standard melodic power metal song.

Next, Excalion shows their real power with symphonic power metal songs ´Streams of Madness´ and ´Soaking Ground´, the progressive influenced ‘Ivory Tower’, ‘I failed for you’, ‘Between the Lines’, and the power ballad ‘Delta Sunrise’. The final song is the Finnish ‘Yövartio’, a song especially for their Finnish fans.

Excalion is more than a simple copy of Stratovarius or Nightwish. With the progressive and symphonic elements Waterlines makes a great power metal album. Add the really terrific vocals and the crystal clear production to the songs and you get an album that has to be part of every melodic power metal collection.
So, to all melodic power metal fans: Check out this album!