I call “The Last of My Kind” ‘near cliché-free’ because the first two tracks are about how awesome metal is, but praise of metal is far from the most flagrant of the power metal conventions, and the all around high quality of this album more than assures that all is forgiven. Anthemic and catchy, melodies and choruses stay fresh in the brain hours after listening. An amazing, never shrill vocal performance by Michael Grant over slick, inventive guitar work backed by a tight as fuck rhythm section make this album something to look forward to. The pleasantly ballad-free eleven tracks here range from mid-paced to galloping, with the speedier, uplifting tracks like “Burn With Life”, and sing-along masterpiece “The Path Once Chosen” fairing a bit better, though the slower numbers such as the title track and “The Great Devoid” are about as heavy as is possible for power metal and infinitely emotive. The solitude and tension invoked by the title track and “North for the Winter” are truly palpable.

Normally cover art has little to do with my reviews, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the magnificent cover art for “The Last of My Kind” which was created for the band by renowned Image/DC/Marvel comics artist Gerry Alanguilan. Truly a wonderful piece of art that captures perfectly the emotion and atmosphere of the record therein. Assuredly, Crescent Shield has created a modern classic in the heavy metal realm, and without a doubt, “The Last of My Kind” is the finest power metal album of the year 2006. Amen.