Ten
Spellbound

The English band Ten brought Spellbound to life in 1999. I remember that at the time I was a fourteen-year-old metalhead obsessed with power metal and, given the fantasy design with dragons, unicorns, and wizards, you can deduce that the cover of this album had a magnetic effect on me. When I found out that these Ten were a hard rock band, I took it badly and put aside the idea of buying the album... no... it wasn't for me.

Years went by, but that blonde singer, who I had understood to be the leader of these Ten, continued to intrigue me. So, I got hold of this Spellbound and, for the first time, finally listened to it.

The high-sounding instrumental intro "The March Of The Argonauts" gently catapulted me into an epic and magical world with its majestic and melodic progression thanks to the guitar solos of a certain Vinny Burns. The calm before the storm. "Fear The Force" erupted from the stereo speakers with a lethal hard rock explosion. Impossible to resist! Enthralled, I began to hop around the room like a madman, entranced by the melodies and the excessively fantasy lyrics of the track. The following "Inside The Pyramid Of Light" seemed to continue along the same lines as the previous track, maybe with a hint more power, but, barely a blink of an eye, and here the vibrations of the title track crashed onto my unprepared ears. A riff like Mr. Big’s, the warm voice of that blonde singer, and an epic chorus that made me scream "Spellbound" at the top of my lungs throughout the house to the despair of the neighbors. Engaging and compelling.
The splendid ballad "We Rule The Night" fortunately came to wipe my sweat and relax me. The bagpipes of "Remembrance For The Brave" and here I am at the presence of "Red", the most beautiful piece on the album and perhaps in all of Ten's discography. The atmosphere urges me to wield a sword and run on the Scottish highlands to fight for my people's independence. A few more tracks: "The Alchemist" with its distorted stride, the dreamy ballad "Wonderland" that makes me throw away the sword in favor of a tissue, useful to dry my tears, and the duo "Eclipse" and "The Phantom" as the blossoming and demonstration of the band's worth. Now exhausted, I prepare to listen to "Till the End of Time", a wonderful tear-jerking ballad that splendidly closes the album.

In conclusion, my enthusiasm is such that it encourages anyone to at least give a listen to this "Spellbound". Inside, I found gems that still reside in my heart.