Antalgia - Perception of reality 4.5/5
Reviewed: 10-1-13
Tracklist:
1. The invisible mechanism
2. Realm of pain
3. Embrace of death
4. Lines of life
5. The unseen empire
6. Broken wings
7. Seed in the storm
8. Memories
|
Antalgia is a band from Spain that was formed in 2008 as a cover band, but they eventually started writing their own material and I'm really glad they did, as their full-length debut 'Perception of reality' is extremely impressive. Read on...
What stood out immediately with this CD is that the production is absolutely tremendous, and it's surprising considering this is just their debut. In addition, the band plays a killer blend of symphonic, progressive, gothic and power metal, but the fact that the songs are so catchy while containing elements from the many different styles proves the band has plenty of songwriting skills.
If you haven't guessed already, Antalgia is a female fronted band, and vocalist Bella Dianez is fantastic, yet isn't of the soprano/operatic variety (which seems to be a common thing these days), and I'd instead simply label her a powerful mid-range vocalist. Thankfully, both the music and vocals demand attention, and although the entire CD is superb, my personal favorite songs are the extremely memorable track 4 "Lines of life", the catchy-as-hell track 5 "The unseen empire", and the pounding track 6 "Broken wings". I also want to mention that there are some stunning guitar solos that penetrate my soul and are some of the best I've heard in years.
For band comparisons, maybe think of a blend of Pythia, Crimson Tears, Dawn of Destiny and Gone in April, but the band truly sets themselves apart from the standard, and I have to admit that their slightly progressive edge (which is more than what's heard from these other bands) totally works, and each and every aspect of this CD is really crisp. Seriously, I don't have even one complaint or criticism.
Look folks, I'll be one of the first to say that there are way too many female fronted bands these days, and I realize that a lot of them are added to this site regularly. That said, it's my hope that we can help metal fans discover the best of the bunch, and by highly recommending this CD, it surely helps the cause. Definitely get your hands on this one!!
CLINT
MORE REVIEWS... FULL REVIEWS
MORE REVIEWS BY CLINT... CLINT
MAIN -
A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -
MISC
Email: metalcdratings@yahoo.com
