Fall of an Empire

AMG Review of Fall of an Empire

Stewart Mason
All Music Guide

Returning from an extended sabbatical that saw most of the band's lineup turn over, French prog metal outfit Fairyland return with their most symphonic album yet. Opening with a blatant "Carmina Burana" ripoff intro track called "Endgame" (which reappears in various guises thrice more over the course of the album, like it's a recurrent theme in the Lord of the Rings soundtracks or something), Fall of an Empire sounds like some kind of ill-conceived cross between lightweight '80s poodle metal and the worst, most Rick Wakeman-like excesses of '70s prog.