IVANHOE – Healed By The Sun (2024) *HQ*
German melodic progressive metal band IVANHOE are back with a new album titled “Healed By The Sun“. Released by Massacre Records, this album really showcases the band’s musical prowess and unique sound.
While according to the band the songwriting process turned out to be a journey back to their musical roots revisiting all previous IVANHOE albums, the songs on “Healed By The Sun” are catchier and more accessible, and the compositions more sophisticated.
The band’s ninth studio offering was produced by bassist Giovanni Soulas and guitarist Chris Lorey, obtaining a clean & melodic progressive sound from hard-hitting tracks to melodic ballads in the early Nineties vein, yet still modern, powerful.
After opener “Daybreak” creating a proper atmosphere, “Headnut” blasts full of energy with pounding drums, a swirling solo and very catchy rhythms. On “Moments In Time” there’s busy instrumentation alternating midpace and guitar / rhythm section breaks with fine vocal parts.
“Small Path Home” is a progressive ballad, melodic, with a great chorus and a cool guitar solo, and there’s another solid, keyboard-heavy ballad in “Picture In My Mind”, a highlight. Wonderfully harmonious, “One Ticket To Paradise” adds acoustics to the mix.
An old Ivanhoe song reworked with fine results, “Awaiting Judgment Day” concludes the album, a song with interesting arrangements, an energetic rhythm and parping keyboards, with a change of tempo in the mid-section that soon picks up speed again.
“Healed By The Sun” is a progressive metal album, however not in the ‘metallic sense’. We find some heavy riffage, but the overall feel of the CD is very melodic, midtempo driven music plenty of nuances.
Highly Recommended
01 – Daybreak
02 – Healed By The Sun
03 – Headnut
04 – Moments In Time
05 – Goodbye
06 – Small Path Home
07 – Invictus
08 – Picture In My Mind (Bonus Track)
09 – One Ticket To Paradise
10 – War Of Ages
11 – 10C
12 – Broken Illusions
13 – Awaiting Judgement Day (Bonus Track, Re-Recorded)
Alexander Koch – Vocals
Chris Lorey – Guitars
Giovanni Soulas – Bass
Richie Seibel – Keyboards
Mathias Biehl – Drums
Pre order:
imusic.co/music/4028466913678/ivanhoe-2024-healed-by-the-sun-cd
