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Unseen

    
       
       
       
     
             
tHOLA are a heavy metal band from Switzerland formed in 2016, releasing four albums to date - 'WolfBurn' (2017), 'Stalking Tender Prey' (2018), 'Somewhere' (2021), and 'Unseen' (2024)...    
             
...featuring an incredible "sit up and take notice" aura! For the Swiss outfit surprised me massively with phenomenal pace, power and urgency - not to mention the sensational infectious level! Every song on offer across the albums fifty two pulsating minutes is incredible, 'Unseen' roaring straight into contention for Album Of The Year - yes readers, right from the off tHOLA make one hell of an impression! An impression that simply gets better and better with each song that roars on by - 'Needles In The Dark' launching the bands new album in a furious flurry of heavy come power metal! The speed here is phenomenal, tHOLA planting one foot firmly on the old school heavy metal monitor - 'Needles In The Dark' a spectacular offering to announce your new album. And the announcement just gets louder and prouder with the heavier 'Ashes & Ghosts' - replete with a sensational melodious intent! The Swiss five-piece certainly know how to grab listeners attentions, 'Unseen's opening double salvo nothing short of jaw dropping!    
             
And to be honest with ya readers, it's not even worth picking your jaws up, for they're only gonna hit the floor again as tHOLA thunder forth with the fast and furious 'Killer Of The Beast' - the classic sound of European power metal filling the air! Imagine if you will the offspring from a tryst between German power metal masters Iron Savior and Rage - and you'll get somewhere near the sound of tHOLA and (the bands fourth album) 'Unseen'. I say somewhere near, 'cause there's much more energy and oomph than these two bands put together! And with an emphatic upturn in elegance and majesty, 'Tenderness' raises the bar with regards to mid tempo power metal pomp, tHOLA beaming with a sky high infectious level - every listener dripping with excitement! The first four songs have been fantastic, the band effortlessly hitting the sweet spot of everyone everywhere, And with more hustle and bustle than heard so far, 'Atmosphere' is a staggering, swaggering stomper that shudders the ground with so much force that every building within miles is gonna crumble and fall! I dunno where tHOLA get all their energy from, but I want some - especially if it's an unlimited supply!    
             
And oh my fucking god - the anticipation fuelled first forty seconds or so to 'Legacy' does not disappoint, the band pressing the pedal firmly to the metal to roar off at incredibly high speed! The pace is scorching hot, 'Legacy' by far and away the fastest song heard so far, the band vigorously rocking the head of every single listener, fan and follower - and that (obviously) includes me who, as a wearer of glasses, has just rocked my head so much my glasses have flown off! Fucking hell guys - I'm not complaining though, for the metal on show is fucking superb, 'Unseen' marching on with the anthemic tinged 'Good Days'. I say "tinged", only because there's a bold brashness that moves 'Good Days' into the realm of the heavy hitting thunder stomp - along with the exhilarating change of speed during the songs second half! Simply breath taking! And just like all of my favourite albums, I could listen to 'Unseen' a thousand times and never get bored, tHOLA storming on with even more thunder stomping courtesy of 'A 1000 Times'. Heavier too, the band at their heaviest since the album began, yet the magnificent melodious streak running right through the heart of 'Unseen' remains firmly intact! Just incredible!    
             
Moving in the direction of thrash, 'Unseen' takes on a little aggression with the menacing 'Morning Light', the band integrating thrash metal nuances with their heavy come power metal roots - the mid paced march stomping the ground hard! So hard in fact, walls are wobbling and buildings shaking under the immense force of the metal pouring outta the album - an album that sees, or rather hears, blistering pace make an emphatic return as 'Playground' roars outta the blocks! Changing through the gears, 'Playground' swings from all out speed to a more melodic mid tempo swagger and everything in-between, tHOLA delivering an amazing array of different metal styles. And closing the album, melodic metal takes front and centre as 'Last Man Standing' returns the classic sound of European power metal to the fore. What an album 'Unseen' has been - and is! Definitely one of the best this year and a very strong Album Of The Year contender.    
             
Overall, a sensational gallop of head bang ability, 'Unseen' is packed to the rafters with an incredibly infectious array of heavy metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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