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| Volturian are a modern metal band from Italy, founded by Sleeping Romance vocalist Federica Lanna and Frozen Crown guitarist/songwriter Federico Mondelli. The band explore various styles of music, not just the founders symphonic metal and power metal backgrounds, but also pop and the more sombre Gothic metal. | ||||||
| The new album contains ten songs spanning thirty seven minutes, and includes a cover of an early nineties pop classic - more on that later. But right now, the album begins with the one minute intro 'Crimson Dust'. An upbeat and energetic intro, 'Crimson Dust' is very much pop metal crossed with what you'd expect at a rave - remember rave's? Are they still a thing these days? Or am I just getting old? Anyways, the album begins proper with the thumping 'New Life'. Rooted in both the power and symphonic metal genres, 'New Life' is a crushing crescendo of heavy hitting riffs and symphonic female vocals...and death metal backing vocals. All the trademarks of the bands founders making an appearance in the first song. And from here on in, the album is a progression of exploration of blending various genres together. | ||||||
| 'Haunting Symphony' is foot tapping melodic symphonic power metal with soaring vocals courtesy of the bands sultry singer and founder Federica Lanna. The heavy guitar riffing is exquisite wizardry courtesy of the bands guitarist and main songwriter Federico Mondelli. 'Haunting Symphony' is a mix of metal and rock laced with symphonic elements. 'Broken' is a hard hitting slab of hard rock with razor sharp guitars that cut and thrust a savage path across the land. The founders other bands sit within the remit of symphonic metal and power metal - this band doesn't really sit within a single genre, floating between a number of genres, even floating away from metal and rock...and into the realms of pop and even disco! 'The Killing Joke' sees the band widen their musical horizons with a pounding beat you'd find more at home at a house party. Federica and Federico have not been afraid to experiment, or put their reputations on the line, for musical exploration. And I reckon neither of them will lose any of their credibility either. 'Crimson' is a cracking listen - moving on with 'In A Heartbeat', reaching out just a little to the pop rock style of music. Remaining fairly heavy, 'In A Heartbeat' will still satisfy all the rockers out there. | ||||||
| Suddenly, the band pick up the pace, energy and bombast levels with the thundering 'Between The Sleepers' fusing a little folk rock into the thumping rhythm. Infectious and highly catchy, 'Between The Sleepers' has an addictive sing a long able chorus. 'Days Before You Died' has a definite ABBA (Swedish pop band popular in the late seventies and early eighties for those that don't know) feel to it. Although Volturian are much heavier and rockier than the famous Swedish export, yet 'Days Before You Died' is the most poppy and catchy song on offer, bringing smiles to the faces of pop, rock and metal fans the world over. And the catchiness remains high as 'Forevermore' strides into view and marches on with what I can only describe as Volturian's signature sound - heavy rocking with symphonic elements and a dash of pop. The final song on the album clearly shows the bands pop influence, the band covering 'Fading Like A Flower' by Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, from their 1991 album 'Joyride'. More beefy than the original, Volturian do a great job in keeping to the originals pace and pop feel. | ||||||
| Overall, an intriguing journey of rock, metal, symphonic and pop influences, all fused together to create an entertaining and addictive listen. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Metal Gods TV | ||||||
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