Derdian is an Italian band. They formed back in 1998 as a thrash metal cover act, and then decided to switch styles and became a symphonic/power metal band and began writing original songs.
Their latest effort is New Era Part II: War Of The Gods, the follow up to 2005's part 1. It's a concept album that tells the ongoing story of the people of Derdian, a legendary fortress. It's a saga about power, war, treachery, murder and revenge.
Derdian's style combines thrash metal guitar riffs and solos with epic, symphonic compositions. There is a lot of atmosphere and keyboards along with metal crunch and emotional power metal style vocals. The album tells an interesting story, but more importantly the songs are very catchy and melodic. It's sometimes a bit over the top, but that's not uncommon in this genre, and overall it's a very enjoyable listen.
