Artist: Moonstone 
   Title: The Second Rune
   Label: Brennus Music

The Second Rune is the second album from Moonstone, a Power metal band from France who have one obvious difference for most of the power metal bands out there.  The fact that they have a female vocalist and very competent one at that in the form of Paula Guittard.

As Paula has a more hardened vocal style than most of the female fronted bands now doing the scene her style is very much more suited to the power metal sound than perhaps the symphonic metal scene.

The album opens up in impressive style with the battle hymn ‘The 13th’.  A riff strewn track that is tells the tale of Norseman.  A subject perhaps a little strange for a French band, but I suppose this genre does tend to call for at least one Viking song.

The next track is one that has been bugging me since I first heard it.  ‘Heart On Heart’ seems very familiar.  I first thought it was a cover but on the sleeve notes the song is written by the band, so I can only think that is has been covered by someone else. That aside it's one of my favourite tracks on the album because it reminds me very much of Doro Pesch’s solo work.

The album is full of riff-laden tracks like the majestic ‘Mindlord’ and the title track ‘The Second Ruin’, but the band show a more gentler side with ‘Your Leaving Me’ with its ballad-like undertones.

However, it’s the heavier tracks such as the Priest like ‘Pure Evil’ and the raunchy ‘I’m Back’ where the vocals of Guittard really shine.  On some of softer tracks it seems that Paula is a little restrained vocally, it seems she just wants to break free and shout for all her worth.  Because that’s where she seems more comfortable.

But that point aside, this is decent album and I think with a bit more polished production it could be a truly excellent album, and one any power metal fan would play repeatedly, as I have.  

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