This is actually Italian Dark Symphonic Metal band Elegy Of Madness’ fifth full-length album since their debut emerged back in 2009, but it’s their first in their new home at Scarlet Records and also their first with new vocal force majeure Kyrah Aylin. As with each band under the Symphonic Metal umbrella on Scarlet, Elegy Of Madness bring plenty of themselves to the table, attacking the genre in their own way. Here, this is very much Symphonic Metal displaying a dark Gothic edge, with a down-tuned musical leaning and a penchant for melancholic melodies.
It’s only really as this album unfolds that you start to realise that although Elegy Of Madness have an accessible, they retain an individual quality which side-steps comparisons and makes it an absolute bugger for reviewers like me to pinpoint. One powerful song could make you think of Lacuna Coil one minute, drift towards Eleine, glimpse Midnattsol briefly and then suddenly evoke Xandria…for instance. Vocally Aylin has all the soprano-esque qualities that a frontwoman could need to get a vocal line across, but happily retains plenty of her own distinctive vocal tones to make sure that each song has plenty of personality and identity.
The band aren’t really going for ‘catchy’, more along the lines of impactful and memorable, which means the album as a whole utilises different levels of melody interspersed with contrasting moods and soundscapes, always delivered with intensity and flair. The orchestral/symphonic elements are kept to a minimum, used to enhance rather than dominate, which also gives the band a more personal identity. The tempos range nicely through an epic scale, never descending into a Disney-style ballad or reaching for Power Metal joviality.
Yes, “XI” is dark and atmospheric, but also at times uplifting and always powerful. The band occasionally snatch a handful of Symphonic Black Metal, or a hint of the Industrial, increasing their depth further, but mainly explore a melancholic heaviness that is becoming their own. Occasional harsh vocals also add to the drama and suit the sonic picture the band are painting, backed up by intelligent arrangements and a great production. So if you’re looking to push your Symphonic Metal into darker, deeper, unpredictable territories, Elegy Of Madness can easily escort you there.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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