On their four previous albums, Denmark’s Wuthering Heights have remained less than a cult act, even recruiting Astral Doors vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson did little to raise the international profile. That’s about to change, given the quality of "Salt", which seamlessly spans power metal, folk and progressive genres (even a bit of the current pirate craze, ‘The Mad Sailor’) to create an enjoyable, lively listen.

The brainchild of guitarist Erik Ravn, an expert composer, he weaves grandiose collection of tales surrounding life on and/or around the sea, like ‘The Last Tribe (Mother Earth)’, which incorporates dual vocals, a cappella voice and acoustic guitar. A Celtic lilt (‘Weather The Storm’) is inherent in Ravn’s audio-vision, punctuated by pipes, concertina and similar folk influences, but only sparingly. In that regard, Wuthering Heights are similar to the better known Falconer. There’s the short beer hall sing-a-long ‘Water Of Life’ and mammoth (16:30) ‘Lost At Sea’ closer, all regal, without pomposity.

"Salt" is definitely worth a taste!