I'm not the official Victorius biographer so the history lesson stops here, but what I will say about Victorius is that the faction made "The Awakening" a total knockout. Victorius takes bits and cues from many of their legendary countrymen in this forty-eight minute maelstrom of intensity and passion. The band's general formula largely bases itself on drilling riffs and wildly entertaining choruses, which are definitely some of the finest center pieces of any 2012 power metal release. They do, however, act a little deceiving igniting the album with "Age of Tyranny" and its Dragonforce-esque speed and intensity, though it's really the only of its kind. "Starfire" and others take on a less frantic approach, much more akin to the likes of Gamma Ray or Blind Guardian in spirit, using hammering riffs that aren't dazzlingly original yet still very nice placed next to exceptional choruses and virtuosic, soulful guitar melodies and blazing solos—this is Victorius' primary mold throughout the opus.

While "The Awakening" has shades of sameness and the group is obviously indebted to many of its influences, it's still a tornado of passion and velocity, everything this sub-genre should represent, frankly. They've given us eleven anthems that are profound, animated, enthusiastic, triumphant, and loaded with prime-cut riffs and emotion—no tune fails to carry its own fire. The vocals are remarkably mighty as well, boasting a familiar bravado most in this niche aim for. For standouts, "Lake of Hope" is easily the finest song on "The Awakening," showing a transition from Victorius' basic songwriting to something more dramatic and powerful; its chorus is unbelievably stellar. "Demon Legions" is soaked in the blood of Mystic Prophecy, which isn't surprisingly considering the focus on sinister mid-paced violence and grim riffs.