Roll call

Before elaborating on the topic at hand, introductions are in order. First of all, there is Sinergy, an absolutely mind-blowing Finnish power metal band. Perhaps you have heard some of their songs – Midnight Madness, The Warrior Princess, Last Escape are good examples. As you can already tell, their music has a tinge of epic adventure quality mixed with fantastic guitar riffs. Then there is At Vance, another impressive power metal band with German origins. Sinergy tends to experiment with black metal while At Vance seems to prefer a more ballad-style music. Noteworthy songs? Answer Me, Cold as Ice and Lost in Your Love. There is also Rough Silk, yet another power metal group from Germany. The themes of their melodic tunes flick between darker topics, with an occasional reference to the paranormal world. Nosferatu, Walls of Never and The Fiddler on the Skeletal Horse are just some interesting mentions.

What do they all have in common?

So why are a number of power metal bands being described in this fashion? Simple. They are just a few of the good heavy metal and hard rock bands that got together to create A Tribute to Abba, an album that was released by Nuclear Blast (2001). Keeping in mind the various music styles of these bands, it was no surprise that the end product turned out to be a fascinating remake of Abba's greatest hits. A lot of covers that only add a modern beat or two and thus, through the resulting popularity, link their name to the song. Others can ruin a song beyond words (read: Sweet Child of Mine by Ms. Crow). In this case, this group of bands stay true to the Abba classics while converting the pieces to be great metal works. In most cases powerful vocals adhere to the vocal styles of the Swedish band, although there are one or two instances where you can glimpse a surge of power metal enthusiasm. The vocals are enhanced by impressive guitar pieces and adrenaline-pumping drum beats, traits that are typical of most power metal genres. Sinergy presents a cover of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight); At Vance does Money, Money, Money; and Rough Silk goes for Take a Chance On Me. Other honorable mentions include Thank You for the Music by Metallium and Dancing Queen by Glow.

Enough already; I want to nab this album

Here's where it gets ugly. It seems like Nuclear Blast is no longer selling this album. Which is utter nonsense since this tribute album is one of the best covers going around. Or perhaps, in this instance, it is more appropriate to say not going around. Most people are able to find it in used items sections while others seem to finding it on sources like Youtube. The sad truth is, it might have been taken off the circuit due to lack of publicity; it is hard to imagine a great album such as this struggling in the sales department. Do note that all songs on Youtube etc. have no video footage.

Link to Tribute Songs on Youtube