ALTERIUM – Of War And Flames (2024) *HQ*
ALTERIUM, the new Italian melodic power metal quintet led by Nicoletta Rosellini (ex- Kalidia, Walk in Darkness) are releasing their first full-length studio album “Of War And Flames” today.
ALTERIUM is the kind of ‘new power metal’ bands which in fact has a lot of accessbility to their sound, adding a lot of pop-rock and even melodic rock to the music, while Nicoletta’s vocal stylings also lean the band in the direction of mainstream, commercial symphonic metal.
Ms. Rosellin has a voice that is clean and sultry but projects well to match the power of the music. Opener ‘Drag Me to Hell’ starts with an old school feel, with maximum speed, but then slows slightly in tempo while still maintaining a lot of energy. There are some progressive elements in play as evidenced by the syncopation after the second chorus, before returning to the main beat. Some interesting dynamics in play.
‘Siren’s Call’ is a highlight and is the most commercial track. Mixing a symphonic feel with edgy melodic rock, this track is a winner. A hard driving melody with Ms. Rosellini’s voice gliding elegantly over the rhythm.
The title track is next and is very representative of the whole record. There’s a lot of elements at play, a solo piano intro leading into a double bass blast following that same rhythm, and various time changes for the verses, bridge, and chorus. All easy to the ears.
Things slow down a bit with ‘Crossroads Inn’, a symphonic infused track though somewhat relaxed, moving at a fairly moderate tempo throughout. The verses have bursts of heavy guitar work, while the chorus is very light, melodic and carried by the symphonic elements, as well as some light and very beautiful vocals from Rosellini.
Another favorite come with “Shadowsong”, which opens up rather calmly, with some soft, very melodic guitar work and marching drums, before the guitarists start shredding and drums charge ahead, for a very up tempo opening verse, once again presenting a classic, high energy sound, while the chorus is a bit softer and more melodic, but still keeps the frantic pace going. The vocals are excellent as always, but the instrumental work really stands out on this track.
‘Crystaline’ is the sole ballad on the album, a showcase for Rosellini voice – she sounds great on all tracks – a solid, melodic, almost melancholic tune. It’s a very vocal driven track, and Rosellini is at the top of her game, starting off softly before going all out towards the end, and she does a fantastic job, as always.
Another midtempo track is “Heroine of the Sea”, one of the more cinematic sounding tracks on the album. It again has a very Nightwish feel to it, moving at a fairly subdued pace throughout, with light guitar work paired with epic arrangements.
“Chasing the Sun” fluidly blends symphonic and light metal elements together. It starts off with some bass and symphonic elements, before the guitars and drums kick in and it goes full speed for a fun, fast moving opening verse, but then it slows down again for another epic chorus
Closing out the album is “Bismarck”, a cover of a standalone single by Sabaton. Alterium have done a valiant job mostly playing it straight, though maybe going slightly heavier with the symphonic elements. There’s a strong guitar work and Rosellini manages to pull it off nicely.
Overall, ”Of War and Flames” is a very strong debut, presenting a melodic commercial power metal album with a nice mix of speedy passages and more subdued light sympho, pop-rock.
It’s a nicely varied album, well written, accessible, with a polished production.
Highly Recommended
01 – Drag Me to Hell
02 – Siren’s Call
03 – Of War and Flames
04 – Firebringer
05 – Crossroads Inn
06 – Shadowsong
07 – Crystalline
08 – Heroine of the Sea
09 – Chasing the Sun
10 – Bismarck
Nicoletta Rosellini – vocals
Paolo Campitelli – guitars
Alessandro Mammola – guitars
Luca Scalabrin – bass
Dario Gozzi – drums
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