Hailing from France, this is the band's fourth full length of darkly melodic heavy metal with a slight gothic tinge. It's also their third record for label Pitch Black and I must say I like when labels stick by a band like that. There's a bit of Nevermore or Iced Earth feel to this band, but without all the unnecessary jammin' that Nevermore tends toward. This is straight forward, dark, modern heavy metal. I can hear a little Manowar in their sound as well, when they lean into an epic riff, and they do it often enough to notice. The songwriting is interesting, and arresting, with a focus on hooks and catchy riffs as well as memorable vocals. The vocals aren't virtuosic, but are perfectly capable of holding down the melodies, and the singer turns in a good performance. His voice has a dark quality that I like quite a bit. They employ some interesting time shifts in some of the songs that keep things fresh and keeps the listener watching out for the next little flourish. This is quite a good record overall, and it's a totally different flavor of heavy metal, which is refreshing. Highly recommended for the classic metal fan.
