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Red Dragon

    
       
       
       
     
             
Volturian are a modern metal band from Italy formed in 2019, releasing their debut album 'Crimson' in 2020. Founded by vocalist Federica Lanna (ex Sleeping Romance) and guitarist/songwriter Federico Mondelli (Frozen Crown, Nocturna), the band explore a myriad of musical styles - not just the founders symphonic and power metal backgrounds - but also pop and the more sombre Gothic metal. 'Red Dragon' is the bands sophomore album and was released in 2022...    
             
...featuring forty minutes of elegant and majestic metal that builds upon what the bands debut delivered. Among the songs on offer this time around, are heavy hitters, symphonic strolls, melancholic marches, and pop pomp - all glued together by the incredible song writing of Mondelli, and topped off with the amazing, wide ranging vocals of Lanna. The new album is brought to life by the electronic keyboard led two minute instrumental 'Rebirth', building stealthily to a crescendo for 'Stay' to come crashing in like a wrecking ball devastating a building! Punchy and fast paced, 'Stay' is fairly aggressive, portraying the bands metal roots. It's highly infectious nature will have you hooked, hyped, and happy. The first single 'Harley', came with an accompanying video - Vaudevillian in nature, mixing elements of the musical horror film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (released in 1975) and a burlesque cabaret. The sultry vocals of Lanna are intoxicating, perfectly aligned to the underlying melancholic tones of 'Harley'.    
             
'Empty World' returns the heaviness of 'Stay', but also adds a highly addictive hard rock feel - forging a bridge between the genres of metal and rock. The bands penchant for electronic keyboards adds an interesting twist to 'Empty World's sound, opening the Volturian sound up to a much wider audience than just hard rockers and heavy metallers. A majestic tall and proud almost ballad like feel rises high to the surface as 'Torn Asunder' slides into sight, but the heavy pop like pounding and symphonic style vocals moves the song into an entirely different realm. Volturian really are an enigma, the band just don't fit into any one genre of music, with their gifted guitarist and founder Mondelli finding inspiration from everywhere - the diversity of 'Red Dragon' much wider than the bands debut album. Bringing forth a darker, more doom laden feel, 'Burn It Up' is a slow crawl of pop infused Gothic blended with industrial metal. The faultless vocals of the gorgeous Lanna soar effortlessly, covering - not just 'Burn It Up' but the entire album as a whole - in a layer of symphonic metal.    
             
And even slower, yet more emphatically brooding, is 'Distant Caress'. A staggering vocal performance takes centre stage here, duelling with the keyboards for supremacy. But I reckon Lanna wins, for her voice is as beautiful as she is. And if you're still in any doubt as to how impressive her range is - just listen once again to 'Distant Caress'. And then listen a few more times. Absolutely stunning. With a heavy hitting pop come metal feel, 'Bury Me' is a swashbuckling swagger of tempo changing fury. Led by the guitars more than keyboards, 'Bury Me' has a highly melodic, sing a long-able chorus break that'll surely go down a storm in a live arena - should the band decide to perform it of course. The heaviest hitting foot stomper the album has to offer 'Freeze', is a thunderous cacophony of every musical style the band has in its arsenal - though I would say, 'Freeze' is led by the classic sound of traditional heavy metal. The album is brought to a close by the second electronic keyboard led instrumental 'Descent' - a livelier and more feisty romp than the first.    
             
Overall, 'Red Dragon' pulls inspiration from many musical styles and sews them together perfectly, creating a new, and innovative, modern metal sound.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Crimson      
           
"an intriguing journey of rock, metal, symphonic and pop influences, all fused together to create an entertaining and addictive listen" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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