Enter Deception

Cellador's debut album, Enter Deception, is one that cuts the shit and gets right to the point. Nothing but pure, uncut speed. Whether it's through the shredding riffs and solos or David Dahir's overly involved drumming (oftentimes getting to a point where he's blasting away - and then there are the blast beats he'd just pop out because why not), there'd theoretically never be a dull moment. Of course, lots of thrash bands that surfaced from the mid-2000s onwards proved that constantly thrashing and speeding away would, ironically, get quite tedious to listen to. But Cellador anticipate this by playing in a remarkably technical manner. Well, "technical" might not be the right word - unless shredding the listener's face off is what's considered technical. Thankfully, the shred manages to metamorphosize into some moderately melodic passages that keep the songs glued together. They keep in rhythm instead of just going all over the place. A frenzied rhythm that rarely, if ever, lets up until the song's end, but rhythm nonetheless. Bill Hudson and Chris Petersen have right arms like sewing machines, just throwing out riffs, leads and solos that come at you hard and fast. Well, "hard" by USPM standards, anyway (albeit USPM with the occasional blast beat). That isn't to say that it's all shredding - "Never Again"'s verse riff gallops like an Iced Earth triplet and "No Chances Lost" slows things down a little from blisteringly fast to a pace that's simply lively (except when they decide to throw out solos left, right and center towards the end, all before a climactic finish). Besides that, these guys are all about that breakneck pace and not letting up, making for a rather energetic listening session.

I have to say, though, the production is fairly muddy and compressed. The quality especially affects the vocals... in some songs. A couple of songs have Michael Gremio's vocals higher in the mix than others, and with slightly different, thinner production that makes them stand out a bit more. This sometimes drowns out the riffs in those songs, which is a shame when put under those conditions. The rest of the songs handle his vocals fine, giving them a fuller mix. But yeah, ain't nobody talking about any clear and shiny mix here. Hell, tone down the shred and release this ten years later, and Cellador could've been a part of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal movement! Anyway, speaking of Gremio, his vocals aren't 100% tops. His default voice is mix of Bruce Dickinson and Michael Kiske's vocals, which works well for this style. Most of the time, he's able to carry the tune and even sort of create his own melodies through his vocal arrangements. His lower notes are in line with Dickinson's, although his high register is definitely more from the Kiske side of his vocal genetics. It's a bit more strained than controlled, which explains why he holds some of those notes for a bit longer than necessary.

Also, gotta be real with you guys here, this album has like one terrific song and seven songs that - while good - don't even compare. Most everybody who listens to this acknowledges the opener "Leaving All Behind" as the best track on the album... and since it's this small, speedy and overall incredibly energetic opener that perfectly showcases the band's talents, I have to agree with the consensus on this one. They say a first impression counts for a lot, and I say Cellador passed that test with flying colors. The other songs have plenty of immediacy as well, but as they're 5+ minutes long apiece, it's a bit of a harder sell since they don't quite make it work as well as they did in the 3-minute burst of energy that is the opener. Unfortunately, this largely lead to comparisons to Dragonforce back in the day - that day, unfortunately for Cellador, being when Dragonforce were on top of the world. Where Dragonforce succeeded was in managing to make 7-minute songs feel half as long. This is thanks to their penchant for being massively over the top with their ridiculously catchy tracks. Cellador were more clinical in their approach, focusing more on fast riffs, flashy solos and blasty drums than anything else - great for short bursts, but not quite for lengthy-ish tracks - at least, not without some seasoning.

Thankfully, they most certainly have their moments, which help to make the songs entertaining to listen to as a whole. There's nothing quite like being assaulted by a white hot shredding lead before the drums start blasting their way through, making you lose your senses as the sky is turning grey to maintain the opener's momentum in "A Sign Far Beyond". The lead work in "Forever Unbound" is positively spellbinding. "Wakening" greets the listener with some fire ass soloing, which is carried on from the end of "Seen Through Time"'s insane soloing. "Never Again" - those triplets are one thing, as is its more galloping pace; yeah, now add some full on blast beats in the middle of the song, and you have one of the more dynamic songs on this album! "No Chances Lost" certainly knows how to leave a lasting impression with its lively pace before bounce-cancelling into a crazy solo before the guitars and drums let up in time for the final chorus, building up to a finishing blow with Gremio's wails and the guitars playing the band off as it fades out.

These moments make for some nice seasoning to what's ultimately some fairly good power metal tracks. They're speedy, they're energetic, and there's some good riffage in there. There's a heap going on here! But ultimately, Enter Deception is a tale of one song and giant bits and pieces of seven songs. If Cellador had better timing, I could easily see them ironing out the small and not-so small imperfections to create some banner fucking great power metal. As it stands, Enter Deception may find itself in the shadow of the best albums from bands like Stormwarrior, Kiuas and, of course, Dragonforce, but it's absolutely the little album that could.

Hailing from Nebraska, widely regarded as one of the least metal states in the union (at least it's not Wyoming), Cellador came out of nowhere with a high-quality debut back in '06. Not only was this power metal group from an incredibly unlikely spot, but they were pulling off a full-speed, slightly thrashy US power metal sound with considerable skill and gusto right out of the gate. With fast songs, blazing solos, soaring choruses, and even some insightful and meaningful lyrics, Cellador’s first full-length, which many feared for years would also be their last, is a rare treat.

Enter Deception explodes with energy. Within the first few seconds of the album, we see nuance and subtlety hold on for dear life at the edge of a cliff, only to have Cellador steps on those concepts' fingers, sending them careening into the abyss below. They don't need that shit here. Singer Michael Gremio is content to soar dramatically as his bandmates speed away with abandon. This breakneck pace results in a lot of passages throughout the album sounding too similar but somehow doesn't result in the album's admittedly monotonous nature getting boring. Throughout every song, the band's fast-as-hell approach remains thoroughly energizing almost all the way through, though a few spots in 'Releasing the Shadow' and 'Forever Unbound' are a bit tiring. Still, though, the fact that this speed-fest doesn't wear out its welcome halfway through is extraordinary.

While there's no real variation here, a number of these songs stand apart. This is mostly because of the vocals, as the riffs placed behind them aren't all that interesting, though there are some killer leads scattered throughout. The album does have its share of memorable vocal lines though, like the absurdly catchy chorus in ‘No Chances Lost’ and every moment of singing in 'Seen Through Time'. As with Reign in Blood, most of these songs don't sound distinct from each other at first, but if you give it time, each track reveals numerous traits that make them recognizable, even if most of the album's memorability comes from the vocal execution.

There's a bafflingly large number of people out there complaining about singer Michael Gremio's performance. While this guy does look like he's trying out for a spot in Limp Bizkit in the album booklet, there's nothing wrong with the sounds emerging from his foodhole. Really, he's just another Dickinson/Kiske imitator. What are people hearing in his performance that's so offensive? Sure, he's generic, but is that really a crime? By no means original or noteworthy, Gremio is plenty competent, reaching those high notes in those bombastic choruses that would be woefully incomplete without this sort of over-the-top vocal delivery and moving right along in the verses with youthful vigor. This guy probably isn't going down in anyone's 'best power metal singers' list but his voice and style are a perfect fit for what Cellador does on this album.

The other performers also don't do anything you can't hear somewhere else but they're just as energetic. The drums largely stick to fast-blasting double bass or some other kind of full-throttle rhythm. While there's nothing unique about them, they have a strong presence and provide the album with a sense of furious momentum during the more melodious guitar passages. The guitars are similarly hyperactive, providing a fast, nigh-constant rhythm as well and plenty of soaring yet succinct leads, some of which brilliantly mirror certain vocal lines from elsewhere in their songs, like the guitar mimicking the chorus of 'No Chances Lost' in that track's opening. The solos often rise abruptly from the high-speed bludgeonings in the places you'd typically expect and are about as showy as Gremio’s singing. With the exception of the bass being covered up, the album is mixed well, giving the vocals and lead guitars prominence but also giving the drums the right amount of punch.

Cellador is arguably the most stylistically American power metal band in existence. There are no keyboards and none of those attempts at aping classical compositions or folk music that you'd hear from the likes of Rhapsody or their ilk. Just a collection of straightforward, comparatively stripped down, and somewhat thrash-laden sprints, with furious solos and standard power metal vocals to complete the picture. From the dense opening lead of the first track to the final track’s over-the-top crescendo, Enter Deception is a bombastic, energetic monster of an album that more than makes up for its lack of originality with a sheer dedication to making the songs as fast and explosive as the power metal tag will allow.

A few years ago, and not long after I got into metal, someone steered me clear of Cellador's Enter Deception, claiming it to be one of the worst examples of power metal that they'd heard. Being the naive young metalhead that I was, I took them up on their advice and haven't listened to this album until recently. Now that I have experienced it, I wish for the life of me that I could remember who it was that influenced me to stay away from it, as I'd like to give them a sharp slap upside the head.

Especially if Dragonforce is popular, I see no reason why this album shouldn't be better known and better appreciated. Sure, Chris Petersen isn't on par with ZP Theart, but he's not an awful vocalist either. Some of the screams are a bit strained, some of the notes are held a bit long, and sometimes the vocals don't quite fit the background instrumentation the greatest, but I've heard significantly worse in my relatively short time on this earth. In fact, with a better-refined vocal section (I even think that with some tweaking, Petersen would be capable of carrying this out), Cellador could become a slightly more experimental, slightly downtempo, and considerably more enjoyable version of the mighty commercial machine that is Dragonforce. I sure as heck like Enter Deception better than half of their work as is.

The trick with this album is to get hooked on the fire-spitting guitar riffs, the galloping drum lines, and the furious melodies. If you accomplish this, the rest will just fall into place. Start perhaps with the terrific "Never Again", where the vocals are spot-on most of the time and the guitar leads won't quit. I'd wager that it's darn near impossible for any fan of blindingly fast, incessantly melodic power metal to dislike this track. From there, move to some of the band's other work (don't bother trying to find something slow, it doesn't exist here, and I can appreciate a band for that), focusing again upon the instrumentation first and foremost.

We've acknowledged that you have to be a speed freak to dig this album, and it'll never quite be top-shelf material, but the (again, Dragonforce-esque) melodies are like a strong adhesive. Like myself, you may find yourself wanting to return to it ever more often after you've spun it a few times and adjusted. Similar to a number of good albums, this one is generally a grower and needs some time to sink in. This is the kind of album that's good for long drives on flat, boring highways, something we midwestern Americans have in spades.

So, as someone who admittedly jumped on the metal bandwagon with Dragonforce (gah, there's that bloody name again!), it's nice to at last know that there's something similar out there for those of us who enjoy the speed and melody, but can't handle ZP Theart all the time (or just want to try something different). Absolutely recommended for any power fan to try. This is a niche album, but a pretty sweet one. Once again, I'm rather peeved that I put off trying it out for so long. Those of you with similar appreciation for this sort of metal, please don't make the same mistake that I did. I've heard that there's at last a new Cellador album in the works, and you can bet I'll have my firt raised for it when it arrives.

Originally written for www.blackwindmetal.blogspot.com/

As a Nebraskan, I have a lot of interest in my state's metal scene. Unfortunately, we really don't have much of a scene. Cellador thus far is the only metal band to achieve any kind of national following. The band is signed to Metal Blade Records, possibly the best-known metal label in the country, particularly since Roadrunner's defection to mainstream hard rock. The band has released one full-length album and a couple of demos. Hopefully they will be releasing another full-length soon.

Cellador is a power metal band from Omaha. They formed in 2004 when all members were 18-24 years of age. Cellador takes a European style approach to power metal, sounding much more like a slower Dragonforce or Blind Guardian in its middle period than American power metal bands like Jag Panzer, Liege Lord or Iced Earth.

The instrumentalists, particularly the lead guitar player, display impressive speed and technical mastery. The band is able to play technical power metal at blazing speeds. Many of the songs feature long solo sections allowing the guitar players to show off their chops. The bass player is proficient and can actually be heard, which is a little unusual for a power metal band. The singer possesses a higher register voice, similar to most other power metal bands, however he is not as strong of a vocalist as the singers for the aforementioned bands and his voice wavers a little when he is not singing within his comfort zone.

Lyrically, the band differs somewhat from their European power metal influences. The band deals typically with personal issues and striving for freedom and individuality than the fantasy imagery usually associated with European power metal. This is a refreshing change of pace.

"Leaving All Behind" is the standout track from the album. Opening an album with the strongest song is a good way to get the listener's attention, but if there are no other songs matching that intensity, things can get a little stale after awhile. This is the problem with this album. No other songs come close to matching the power of the opening track. Luckily, this is a shorter album than other power metal albums making the lack of other standout tracks less of an issue.

After all is said and done, this a fairly decent showing for a young power metal band. There is nothing mind-blowing, but it's a good, quick listen and the band shows some promise for further growth. At least they know how to write a song unlike some power metal bands.

Before I begin reviewing the real substance of this album I’d like to tell you a bit about my road to becoming a fan of metal music. I, like many others in my age group, started off as an ardent fan of nu-metal. I gravitated towards the aggression that the genre hinted at (and in reflection never showed) and I was young enough to find the more overtly pop parts to be “emotional” and “relatable”. Five years or so later you can find me worshiping at the altar of Neurosis and offering human sacrifice to Celtic Frost in order to get them to reform, again. Obviously this transition from the banal to the brilliant didn’t happen over night. I required a bridge to get from mainstream music into more original and worthwhile territory. For me, being a fan of aggression, this bridge was Master of Puppets. Sure it’s not exactly Darkness Descends, but it’s a helluva a lot closer than Korn.

I believe that every fan of a watered down form of heavy music has a similar bridge to metal. Fans of metalcore have At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity. Fans of Trivium have older Thrash metal. And fans of Dragonforce have Cellador.

Cellador have many elements that are similar to everyone’s favorite Guitar Hero oriented power metal band. They have the same tendency to focus their energy on catchy and uplifting choruses with much less care being placed on the verses. Most of their songs have long drawn out guitar duel passages with plenty of neo classical sweeping and cycled sections of hyper speed melodic shredding, some times doubled and sometimes accompanied by blast beats. Unlike Dragonforce, Cellador write actual metal songs, not pop songs dressed up as metal, although “No Chances Lost” gets uncomfortably close to Dforce territory with its acoustic breakdown and melodramatic key change. There’s none of the gimmicky video game noises or overbearing keyboard bits. In their place we actually get tons and tons of authentic power metal riffs such as those found in “Leaving All Behind” or almost any of the verses of just about any song here. There’s nothing startlingly original or innovative but everything makes sense and works well.

Like most power metal bands, Cellador place a heavy emphasis on their vocals. Gremio is a passable, spirited young singer who despite having some a pretty strong range under his belt does not fair all that well under the spot light. His higher shrieks, while impressive, can be a bit too sharp and trebly at times. His voice isn’t thin by any means, but doesn’t feel full or confident enough to really drive these songs to the heights where they obviously want to be. As noted before, he’s much stronger in the choruses than in the verses.

Cellador’s lyrics are pretty stock fair. A read through the liner notes brings to mind motivational posters with sparkling stars, eternal oceans, and majestic dolphins leaping over rainbows. They take a few shots at organized religion, but only do so in order to emphasize individuality and free will, an ironic stance considering the average and plain imagery used. Still it’s better than anything Herman Li and co. have ever attempted lyrically, and nothing conjures up images of band members sitting in floating see-through egg chairs over serene water.

By the end of Enter Deception I can’t say that I’m ever blown away, but I am entertained. This is pretty straightforward and fast paced modern power. It isn’t going to change the game, and it probably won’t do much for you unless you’re an avid fan of power metal or Dragonforce. There are a few interesting parts such as the chorus of “Seen Through Time” which overall is the best track here as it strays out of the band’s comfort zone more than other songs. This isn’t amazing, but if it helps kids get from Ultra Beatdown to Defying the Rules then I’ll endorse it by gum!

I was extremely tempted to give this album a straight up ZERO! Then I decided to be nice and give them an F+. But I resisted a self inflicted gunshot to the head and forced myself to let my ears bleed for two complete full attention listens in a row so I could review it. My friend first told me about this band, knowing he is a power metal fanatic I didn’t know what to expect. Sometimes he knows what he was talking about and others he makes himself look stupid (not just in music but I don’t know if he wants me posting the other things on the internet). Plus he is a drummer and doesn’t have good recognition of other instruments, usually not even the drums.

Ok, well Cellasnore is a good band, but everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, seems completely forced. There are many Dragonforce-esque moments in the album, from the beginning of A Sign Far Beyond to the shitty vocals on No Chances Lost. Another thing is they sound like a very speedy version of Iron Maiden.

But like Dragonforce, no matter how boring, repetitive the music sounds they are still good musicians. The first track, Leaving All Behind, made me think I was in for one hell of a show. At only 3:15 it is the shortest song on the album and by far the best. It was fast paced and in your face extreme flower metal. I didn’t know there was such a thing before this song. In Forever Unbound the chorus has to be one of the lamest sounding things I have ever heard, lyrics aside learn how to sing a chorus. Sometimes the switch to turn on my headbanging is toggling between sleep and break neck. The first track does justice to the switch and forces it up, but the only real other track that does this is Seen Through Time, this two songs are awesome the rest of the album is b-o-r-i-n-g. Things that make these two songs rule are non boring riffs and kick ass solos. The song lengths are way to long, well it isn’t like cutting off the song at 4:30 would cut off the extremely boring parts so whatever. Forever Unbound and Wakening have nearly the exact same intro, not to mention once again sounding very Dragonforce-esque, so yea that is retarded.

Like I said before nearly everything seems forced, actually the only natural feeling on the album is the solo in Seen Through Time. The drums seem like a fucking drum machine. They are played extremely fast, speed is always good but when you are playing the same drum pattern and same double bass fills for 45 minutes it is awful boring. I can’t stand the vocals on this album, I don’t know if it is the blatant Bruce Dickinson failure of a rip-off or just the plain out crappiness of his voice, oh wait that is the same thing. If you are going to try to rip-off a great vocalist and you can’t sing, errr….well don’t fucking do it.

Now to the guitars again. If playing as fast as you humanly can makes you a good guitarist then these guys nailed it. But that does not make you good. The talent is surely there but the songwriting isn’t. I don’t mean to be harsh about it, but this album makes me want to go to bed and it is 12:30 pm so I can’t think of any other reason why I am tired. So yea if you want to listen to some complete over-strokage on the instruments, horrible singing, forced music, and complete lack of songwriting skills feel free to waste your money on this excuse of an album

Cellador is one of the best new bands out there today, and this album proves it. While there may be some weaknesses, they are only minor and can be fixed for the next album. These guys play power/speed metal, and are real good at it-and they're from Nebraska, which is a place where you'd expect a country group to be from, not what could be the next great American metal band. I have seen some complaints that these guys are too much like DragonForce. I do not believe that to be the case. While these guys may be influenced by DragonForce, they sound more like Helloween instead, especially when it comes to the singer, Michael Gremio.

The reason why they don't sound like DragonForce is, again, they sound more like Helloween than DF, yet they've also carved out their own sound. The riffs these guys play are more thrash-influenced, and don't sound like DragonForce's at all. The vocals sound more like Michael Kiske than DragonForce's singer, and they have no keyboards, which is something DragonForce does have.

Instrumentally, these guys are awesome. Chris Petersen and Bill Hudson's intertwining thrash-style riffs are the main focus of the instrumentalists, and their dueling riffs and solos are good enough to make famed guitar duos like Glenn Tipton & K.K. Downing and Dave Murray & Adrian Smith proud. Bassist Valentin Rakhmanov is a solid bassist, holding down the lines perfectly, and David Dahir's drumming rounds out the instruments with what could be described as death metal-style drums, mainly since he is influenced by death metal. Singer Michael Gremio rounds out the band and his vocals seem to be a combination of his own voice, Michael Kiske and Bruce Dickinson, and it shows as he hits the high notes in several places.

Lyrically, it is also good. If you're looking for stereotypical fantasy/sci-fi oriented lyrics, then go somewhere else, because these guys don't have them. However, they will, in fact make you feel better. I mean it! Their lyrics are about self-empowerment and individuality, as well as some social commentary as well. Seriously, these guys are more inspiring than anything that any christian band will ever put out.

Now to the songs. "Leaving All Behind" is first, and it's a little darker than the others-and shorter, too. The song is about losing who you are because you took the wrong path in life, and are letting others make your decisions for you. This track is the single, because there was a video made for it, showing Gremio in a Geoff Tate getup. The song isn't that bad, but it's not the best.

The second one, "A Sign Far Beyond" is one of my favorites. It has a really nice riff and a great sing-along chorus. I can't really figure out what the lyrics are about, but they're still really good.

"Never Again", the third one, is apparently the most popular song by these guys on iTunes, but that doesn't matter right now. Again, this has a great uplifting and sing-along chorus, which is the style for these guys. The lyrics talk about being an individual and taking one's own path in life, and not following others.

"Forever Unbound" is also a favorite, and it has some of that previously-mentioned social commentary. The first verse is focused on religion, and it criticizes it better than most black metal bands, since the black metal bands just tend to bash it. These guys just make it seem irrelevant. The song is about controlling your own life, as the chorus says so.

I'm going to skip a few songs to the end, which is my favorite song by these guys, "No Chances Lost". It starts off with a nice wah-wah solo before going off into the main riff. The reason why it's my favorite is because of the chorus, which I absolutely love. I'm not really sure what the song itself is about, but it's still pretty good.

I guess now that I've gone over the good stuff, I should go over the stuff that needs to be fixed. My biggest complaint is the solos, which at times sound uninspiring and a little emotionless, but again, this can be fixed in the next album. Also, they are a little unoriginal, but since all the ground-breaking has already happened, it doesn't really matter in a sense. Besides, they're still young. They can still forge their own sound for their next album.

All in all, Cellador is a good band that shows great promise. They have great riffs and solos, excellent vocals, a good bass kickass drums and uplifting lyrics. Although they are somewhat unoriginal, they have a great sound already and great potential. However, if they can only keep a stable lineup, as they are currently searching for a new guitar player-Valentin Rakhmanov left, Dave Dahir left and then returned, and Bill Hudson left in January '08 -it could be a while before their new album comes out, but I'm eagerly awaiting it. Check these guys out, you won't regret it.

Cellador is a band that I discovered thanks to Guitar World. When watching one of the numerous DVDs that came with that magazine, former guitarist Bill Hudson said that he was in a band called Cellador before displaying is awesome chops. Well considering how good that he was, I figured I would check out Cellador. This led to the purchase of their debut album, Enter Deception.

I have since found Enter Deception to be a truly good power metal album that I find myself listening to again and again. This album is really heavy, really powerful, really thought provoking, and is just a great album that one will want to listen to over and over again. On top of that, this album is not very monotonous, and really doesn't rip off a lot of bands like most people think it does. That's not to say it has it's fair share of flaws though.

One element of this album that really makes me angry is Michael Gremio, Cellador's singer. Besides changing his name from one that was rather generic but better then Gremio (come on think of a better Italian esque name man), Gremio has to be one of the most generic power metal singers ever. Not even Tim "Ripper Owens, the vocalist many claim to be the most generic sounding metal vocalist ever is this generic. This guy sounds so much like Michael Kiske, but minus that singer's Frank Sinatra esque lower vocals. He sings entirely in the upper register and is totally monotonous. However his vocal patterns are pretty nice, and he complements the lyrics alright. I definitely think that he needs to work on find an original voice for his singing. I know this is hard for power metal singers, but he really has to do it.

The guitar department is one that Cellador really wins me over in. Loads of European esque melodies mixed in with rapid Teutonic thrash esque tremolo picking and hard hitting American thrash like riffs in a few places. For a power metal band in today's modern age, Cellador really is great when it comes to making traditional power metal, power metal that is not made epic by keyboards but by fast as hell guitar harmonies. They also build on that, making their music power/thrash if you can look at it that way largely due to Chris Petersen's initially grounding in thrash metal. Much of the riff work here has more in common with bands like Metallica and Slayer then Helloween here. In fact, most of the power metal parts are the result of Bill more then Chris (I'm guessing this is probably why Bill left the band, since he was more into the power metal material then the thrashier stuff that Chris was writing for Cellador).

However, don't think that the band is a mere Iced Earth knock off. When I say power/thrash metal, I mean power/thrash metal. I don't think any band, not even Iced Earth, lives up to that tag more then Cellador. While bands like Iced Earth or Mystic Prophecy tend to lead more to the power metal side and bands like Nasty Savage lean more towards the thrash metal side, Cellador is the only band that I have heard that I can say has reached the power/thrash equilibrium. If only Bill could have adapted more and been less of a "I'll just play a few chords again and again and again until you need me to do some of my fast as hell alternate picking and sweep arpeggios work later" kind of player. So maybe getting rid of Bill Hudson isn't such a bad idea I guess.

Even their solo department is amazing, with Chris Petersen being a nice complement but Bill Hudson being the true virtuoso. Lets just say Petersen is more old school while Hudson is more new age when it comes to shredding. I say this because Petersen's shred sounds very 1980s esque, while Hudson utilizes a lot of more modern shred techniques like sweep picking. The problem is that the guitars more or less follow the same formula a lot. Wah pedal or tremolo picked intro, thrashy riffs, verses with more thrashy like riffs, chorus with more typical power metal work, more verses, solos, more thrashy riffs, close out with another wah pedal use. Though I do admit that at times this is catchy, it's just plain boring and monotonous some times.

The bass I can't even really hear on this album. I'm going to skip it, because it's nothing impressive bass wise. Then again, what power metal bands other then Helloween and Iced Earth have had really impressive bassists anyway?

The drum department is pretty good. For power metal, Cellador is incredibly fast and the drums, done here by a mix of Erik Rutan's programming and David Dahir are amazing. What really is unique about the drum department is how Cellador utilizes something few power metal bands would even consider using routinely, the blast beat. There are several songs that utilize blast beats to add to the music by making it frantic and harder hitting, and more frantic. The double bass is also very fast and powerful, often utilizing a mix of your typical omnipresent power metal double bassing, thrash metal rapid kicks, and just massively rapid double bass rolls. It's truly a great album drum wise, especially for a genre where many of the drummers all drum the same. However, the tone of the drums really gets to me, as they sound way too much like they were from a beat box/drum machine, especially the snare drum.

Lyrically Cellador also wins me over, but not by much. No Lord Of The Rings or Norse bullshit here, this is all about themes ranging from salvation to morality, saviors to the future, all of it here is just so much better then singing about what typical modern power metal bands sing about. The problem with this is that Cellador is just so obvious about what their lyrics are about that they really kind of compromise their somewhat unique nature. However what they are good at is making sure the lyrics so bombastically important on a cosmic scale that you really cannot not respect them for writing them. It's hard to not make lyrics sound this huge and important. I don't think even Dragonforce can do this.

Production here, done by Erik Rutan is alright. I have to admit the vocals are pretty clear and all seems to be in the mix, but the bass is almost totally inaudible, and the drums could have sounded way better. The guitars sound great though, so all in all it's alright. I could have expected better though.

So Cellador, find a better guitar player and (maybe) get a new singer (or just get him some good vocal training) and you'll be right on track. Until then, well I'll take Enter Deception. It's a pretty good album, and I think most power metal fans who are looking for something new can't find a better place to look for it then Cellador.

So the mad Doctor enters his new lab with a purpose in mind - to create the best power metal band that there ever was. He has his heart in the right place, and he has his favorite genre in mind - from the crystalline clear Finnish pop metal sound to the high-flying German variety of power metal - and everything is in place. The lab is rather dark and dank, with the familiar cobwebs adorning the nooks and crannies of the stone walls, and he reminds himself to change the lightbulb, which its previous occupants had apparently not bothered to change. He looks at the few half-empty potion flasks still sitting on the table under the glow of the candle he has carried with him. There is one rather cracked and old flask labeled Helloween, mostly all gone by now, and another labeled Gamma Ray, also almost empty. The flask labeled Edguy has a moderate amount of fluid left in it, albeit not enough for it to flow over the top, and there is, very fortunately for the good Doctor, a large jug of bright, slushy orange liquid with a large piece of scotch tape across it's exterior - labeled DragonForce. In his excitement, the Doctor, clumsy as he is, knocks all of the flasks off the table and sends them plummeting down into the large basin on the floor. A curious poof of smoke floats out, lazily drifting through the damp, weighty air, followed by a strong smell of brimstone and burnt flesh. A small explosion ensues, knocking the Doctor to his rear as a creature arises. The Doctor claps with glee, shouting "It's alive!" and getting to his feet as the beast lumbers towards him. The Doctor's smile fades as he realizes that his monster is imperfect - it walks with a limp, and one of its arms is raised quite a bit higher than the other. A failed experiment, he realizes, does this beast have any reason to exist? What has he created?

Where am I going with this? Well, if one were to, as I mentioned above, mix elements of Helloween, Edguy and DragonForce into a gigantic melting pot, then he would probably get something rather lame and melodious. Hell, it's all good, I love a lot of bands under that belt of the metal spectrum. However, if the mixture lacked the right amount of the components (as again, in reference to the above), then the final product might come out disfigured and malformed, an incomplete, unfinished experiment.

That'd be Cellador, if you were too dense to figure it out by now. This band gets a lot of hype, but they are nowhere near as good as all of that. Picture DragonForce with shorter songs and less catchy choruses, and you'd get something like this. Every Cellador album should come with a big ol' sticker on the front of the case that loudly proclaims "0% ORIGINALITY," because that would be a very accurate description of the music contained within. Seriously, I have no problem with bands not bringing anything new to the table, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed, and you know you've crossed that line when your songs sound like stolen DragonForce B-sides. Bands like Insania and Twilightning have made excellent albums without more than a smidgen of unique artistic vision, but Cellador are just too much. None of their songs are original in the slightest, with far too many passages that were apparently directly ripped from various DragonForce songs (with the most obvious plagiarisms being evident in the intro of "A Sign Far Beyond" and the last minute or two of "No Chances Lost," not to mention the hundreds of other little tidbits I could name if I had time to listen to this album over and over again). Not good, guys. Not good at all.

And another thing - I could also excuse the aforementioned unoriginality if Cellador played some hooky, catchy songs (Excalion do this extremely well, as do the aforementioned Insania and Twilightning), but I honestly can't remember much of anything about this. It's boring. None of the songs here stick at all, and it's painfully evident that this band has no idea how to write a (good) song. This is more shallow than a wading pool, and a lot less fun, too. Cellador lacks integrity and individuality, and they can't even write a good hook to hide that fact. Sad.

This is a young band, so I won't come down as hard on them as I would with a band with more albums under their belt, but Enter Deception is a failure. Cellador shows promise, and hopefully they'll fulfill it with their next album, but all we have here is just vapid, unoriginal shash that doesn't merit more than a curious listen. Not recommended.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

The term generic has become a cliché used ad nauseum in some quarters to bash something that gets traction in the mainstream in any way, shape or form. While it might be understandable for the rank and file metal head to scoff at anything that draws in mainstream AOR fans, such sentiments are lost on anyone who simply listens to music because they like it and ultimately get in the way of enjoying the simplicity of a good power metal anthem. Originality, in the sense of sounding like no one else out there in your genre, is the most overrated of utopian ideals in music and will guarantee you nothing but disappointment, especially if you are listening to a power metal album.

Having said all this, it is necessary for a band to have something of an identity of its own, or else the overused “generic” bromide would actually fit and there’d be little reason to spend money on their material. In this department, Cellador does suffer a little bit in some areas, most specifically in the arrangement that they’ve chosen. While they succeed in providing a more metallic sound by not employing a keyboard and avoiding obligatory ballads, the overall structure of several of the songs do scream Dragonforce/Power Quest influences.

“A Sign Far Beyond” and “Wakening” are extremely catchy and showcase rapid riff and drum variation, but can’t help sounding extremely similar to several tracks found on Power Quest’s debut album. Even the soloing style can’t help but listen similarly to the interchanges put forth by Adam Bickers and Sam Totman on “Wings of Forever”. “No Chances Lost” has a nifty little melodic wah pedal drenched solo at the beginning that also sounds like something Totman would dream up, while the chorus melody sounds slightly borrowed from Dragonforce’s debut.

However, some of the other songs here avoid the Dragonforce sound too much to fall into the alleged clone category. “Leaving all behind” is an extremely compact speed metal anthem. A little too fast for late 80s Helloween perhaps, but you can almost hear snippets of “I’m Alive” in the structure. “Never Again” has a solid heavy riff at the beginning that sounds more in line with Pantera’s early 90s work, while the bulk of the melodies carry some comparisons with mid-90s Stratovarius and Twilightning’s debut, albeit with no keyboards. “Releasing the Shadow” has another uncharacteristically aggressive intro riff that almost sounds like early Slayer, but then launches into another speed metal craze with some slight Gamma Ray tendencies.

While the music seems to vary between power metal sources only slightly, Michael Smith’s vocal approach seems to evolve from track to track. At first you think your listening to a Tobias Sammet or Michael Kiske worshipper on “Leaving all behind”, but at other points you hear a Geoff Tate, Timo Kotipelto and Heikki Pöyhiä. Although you can pretty much predict where and when these change-ups in sound will occur, they showcase a solid command over all the necessary areas needed for a top notch performance in the genre.

My final assessment here is that Cellador, like many newer power metal acts, still needs to chisel out a less derivative sound. I don’t fully agree with many that they are an overt Dragonforce clone, but they mostly fall into the same trap of cooking through 90% of the album. Power Quest was able to remedy this on their second album and make themselves more distinct from the other band that they partially grew out of, and hopefully as their sound evolves, Cellador will do the same in their own unique way. “Enter Deception” is a fine debut, and I recommend it to any fan of power metal. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely worthy.

Amazing, outstanding, mighty. Those are some of the words that can describe "Enter Deception" by Cellador. It is the first release from the band, and it shows that though they're just starting out, Cellador is a powerful member of today's current metal scene. Their songs are fast paced and have so much meaning behind them. This power metal band from Omaha, Nebraska shows that great power metal doesn't have to be from Europe, and their debut album shows that the band will only continue to progress and become one of the mighty Gods of metal.

Their lyrics are about being yourself. Most of the songs have a positive meaning behind them. For example, their song "Leaving all Behind" is about finding a meaning behind life, and looking through all of the troubles, losses, and hardships of the past, and looking forwards and onwards to the bright future ahead. Self realization is the theme in most of the songs, and looking for what's pure and true, as opposed to excepting things as how they are.

Cellador's debut album is also very well composed and produced as opposed to most debuts by bands that aren't very well put together. This album is very solid in that the songs are in almost perfect quality and it's also very well mixed. If I didn't know that this was their debut album, I would have thought that they must have been together for a while, because everything is played very together, and in time. In the song "Never Again," the vocalist, Michael Gremio belts out his vocals in professional manner, and he is very solid. His vocals on this cd are with few flaws. The guitars are performed by Chris Petersen and Bill Hudson, and their harmonizing guitar riffs are enjoyable, and are performed in euphonous harmony.

The songs on this cd range from three to seven minutes long. Each of the songs have a distinct power metal sound and feel to them because of the fast drumming by David Dahir. What I like most about this cd is that the lyrics and the music go together; they are both very uplifting and listening to this cd can instantly change your mood, and it can get you thinking about the positive meanings behind the lyrics. I strongy suggest that you go out and buy "Enter Deception" by Cellador and give it a listen yourself.

I can't remember the last time I discovered an American Power Metal I liked a whole lot. (Basically, besides this band, it's Symphony X and Manowar) Anyway, Cellador is an American Power Metal outfit straight out of the somewhat obscure state of Nebraska. Their sound obviously owes a bit to the UK's ever-growing Power Metallers DragonForce, along with other 80s Power Metal giants (Michael Kiske, anyone?). Unlike other Power Metal pretenders, even though they pull a good portion their sound out of the Power Metal standard, they manage to mix in DF-esque blastbeats, and the Black Metal-esque rapid fire single-note riffs, along with the top-notch songwriting and lead guitar work of Chris Petersen and Bill Hudson to create some high-quality Power Metal.

As for the songs: With the exception of the opening track "Leaving all Behind" (which seems to be their single, since there's a music video for it), all the five minutes plus. As a first impression, one might assume a bland DragonForce-esque series of lead guitar intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-2minutesolosection-chorus-lead guitar outro. This is indeed not the case, as Cellador mixes up riffs and rhythms all over the place, and is guided by tasteful and formerly unexplored melodies and leads.

Song Highlights: All the songs kick ass, but Leaving All Behind and A Sign Far Beyond are my favorite picks.

I don't like Dragonforce.

And some may say that this band sounds a lot like Dragonforce, which in some respects is true, but this is NOT a Dragonforce clone. As far as I'm concerned, and speaking from a metalhead who isn't very big on the genre, but Cellador has saved American power metal as we know it.

Only Fred Durst would be blind to see that MetalBlade is just trying to cash in by signing a speed/power metal band a la Dragonforce, but this time they actually got it right. While this band lacks the "masterful and unrivalled speed and technicality" (read as unabashed, lotion abusing wankery) of Dragonforce, STELLAR song writing and charisma are what set them apart.

For you see, the band's chemistry is what I find the most appealing, and in the end makes them the much better band. I mean, these guys are from NEBRASKA! Hell yeah! Being brand spanking new, they have the drive and the initiative to set themselves apart from the "clone" label that was given to them. No one band member is a GOD at their vocation, but when they come together, it's pure gold. The chorus' are suicide-inducingly catchy; the guitars are melodic, can shred and are fast but tastefully so. The drums and bass just seal the deal, providing a strong backbone to the band's sound.

So I say buy this album. Give this band a chance. The vocalist is probably the weakest member, and sometimes he can sound thin and warbly, but overall, this is definitely a power metal band that the scene needs.

Metal Blade have finally broken tradition by embracing their first power metal band in over a decade. This new awakening, seen through time, is truly releasing the shadow of their past perfidious and perjurious persistence for signing every In Flames & Slayer clone available. Even Ozzfest has it's first power metal band ever with the inhuman Dragonforce rampaging the mainstage this summer. Good graces are goading and gathering glory for this genre; long since anathemetized by death metal mutations, whose entire deception has perpetrated such chaos. Nebraska's Cellador created quite a buzz when they circulated their demo at last years Prog. Power festival, with a slightly different logo. Finally, all those who heard this demo and were yearning for a sign far beyond barricades, will definitely enjoy their laconic full length 8 track transposition . These five foundlings from Omaha open the cellar door and tranverse the walls of Jericho riding the sky with 7 keys clanging and gamma rays rising. These soldiers of the steel prophet meld the guitar shredding antics of the demoniacs Herman Li & Sam Totman with hooks and laterals forever unbound . The ancient apostate's turncoat rebellion and ruse is leaving all others behind in the dust and ashes of ineptitude; sedulously guaranteeing that no chances are lost in the purchase of this compulsory creation. Cellador will entertain and overwhelm the senses with their enduring guitar histrionics and fretboard gymnastics. Both guitarists Bill Hudson, who recently relocated from Brazil, and Chris Peterson are but college age confabulators in their early 20's. These progenitors of power metal whose combined and congruent harmonies will lead the listener into ecstastic nepenthe, now possess the qualities of veterans, never again sounding like mere amateurs. David Dahir crushes the drum kit with his blast beating barbaric barnstorm, while bassist Valentin dazes and downright denigrates the denizens. Michael Gremino is a virtuoso compelling, with his vacillating vocal lumination. He sounds similar to Lord Tim, who has recently escaped the dungeon and set sail for Ilium.

In the video, for "Leave it all behind", Mr. Smith donns the Geoff Tate eyeliner look; which does not really complement his visage, it only makes him appear to be more epicene. Dragonforce have taken tremedous slack by power metal excoriates; given the ludicrous promotion they have received. Just read the review at Amazon.com to see what I mean. This ostentatious review glorifies the band with hyperbolic intention; never once given reference to their sound and talent. For those who relish in Metal Blade's curent roster of clonish hard-metal core bands; Cellador will definitely be tossing their salad out the door, as they are dressing their wounds.

The press sheet suggests that even though Cellador was created to bring the power metal sound to the states; their lyrics don't focus on fantasy facades; rather they are more introspective and pesonal with global topics in a subjective soliloquy. Cellador cull their influences from all aspects of the metal genre. I personally hear serious similarity to Dungeon's - "Resurrection" and Steel prophet's "Messiah", which I have not seen mentioned in a single review, thus far. So many critics are astounded by Cellador's sound; especially given their age and aptitude, that they omit this collation. Perhaps, I'm becoming complacent, once I've heard bands like Hibria, Manigance, Galneryus, and Ilium; but, I just don't view Cellador as becoming the next big band. The production by Erik Rutan is crisp and consistenly clear. There are no filler tracks to be found, no mid-pace epics, and no ballads, so certain metal enthusiasts will wonder why I'm inclined to this indisposition; as Cellador are clearly one of America's most promising talent. All I can retort to this inquiry is that variety is the whine and cheese to be savoured in this cellar's Dorian portrait of life.

As originally posted at www.metalcdratings.com

After being one of the top bands in the underground metal scene, Cellador have finally reached a major step in their short career by releasing their debut album "Enter Deception." "Enter Deception" is a wonderful debut that shows the talent of this youthful band.

The instrumental work of Cellador is completely outstanding. Guitarists Bill Hudson and Chris Peterson play a unique style of riffs and solos that are unlike most power metal bands; only Dragonforce has some similar characteristics. Hudson and Peterson riffs are incredibly fast and contain a large amount of melody, but are still heavy and brutal. Some of the riffs are clearly thrash influenced, yet most of time the speed metal element remains strongest. Since melodic influences are always strong, the riffs are very technical, but seem almost impossible to play when adding the rapid speed. "Enter Deception" is also loaded with a large amount of solos and leads. The real highlight of the shredding is the complex nature of the dueling solos, which could be called insane if one guitarist was doing it, but having two people doing at once is down right inhuman. Drummer David Dahir puts on one hell of a drumming show. The double bass pedal is always involved in his drumming and he is constantly pummeling at full speed. One thing that makes Dahir's drumming different from just about every power metal drummer is the large amount of blastbeats. The blastbeat is commonly used on most of the tracks and they really help make the music exciting.

Michael Gremino puts on quite a show on vocals as well. Gremino's voice is incredibly strong and blends in very well with the rest of the music. Gremino mainly stands out on "Enter Deception" due to his ability to hit high notes. The best example of his high vocals is the opening seconds of "Never Again" when he belts out a massive scream that just seems to block out everything else. His vocal ability put much more power into the already excellent music.

"Enter Deception" is a pretty good way to begin a career. "Enter Deception" contains no filler and ranks among the list of great debuts. This band is really young and they are already pounding out fantastic metal. Who knows, maybe one day Cellador will walk with the elites of metal. Pick this one up, you'll be happy you did.

This review was orginally written for: www.Thrashpit.com