Frontiers Records keeps on moving forward, bringing out more and more Metal acts and not as many AOR and Melodic Rock bands as before. They also seem to be on a mission to sign new artists, making sure the re-growth are intact as many of our classic heroes now is growing older and soon will be but a memory which also means that there aren’t all that many of the 80’s and 90’s Hard Rock bands releasing new music at the label anymore – and if they do they take years and years in between albums. I applaud Frontiers for that. New music must come out for the Rock scene not to die and Frontiers puts out Hard Rock from all the branches of the genre-tree, be it AOR or be it melodic Death Metal. Way to go.
One of those new bands are Phantom Elite, a new act formed by Brazilian vocalist Marina La Tarocca, once with Next Eden and a live-singer for Avantasia and producer and ex After Forever guitarist Sander Gommans, who together with guitarist Max Van Esch, who also handles all bass-duties on the album, drummer Joeri Warmerdam and keyboard player Koen Stam made the line-up intact. The band released their debut album Wastelands in 2018 before signing with Frontiers. The band plays classic Heavy Metal with a progressive and symphonic insert and now the band is eager to show the world their development since the debut with their brand new album.
Opener “Conjure Rains” kicks you in the crotch right away – heavy, dark and tuned down with a muscular riff and a hard-hitting rhythm. There’s some programmed keyboard electronica in the intro but the tune gets into a full bombasm and a fat and heavy groove. The chorus slows things down a notch and even though it’s an ok tune, it never really lifts. Second single “The Race” is slower in pace at first – heavy, symphonic and ominous in sound and atmosphere but it turns into a faster beast with slamming drums and a tuned down bass. It’s also big on keyboards, it holds a straight ahead melody arrangement and the chorus is catchy enough for comfort. The opening keyboard melody also brings on a slight Celtic vibe which makes for nice contrasts. A good enough tune.
Leading single “Diamonds And Dark” starts out on a softer note, a bit theatrical with a melancholic piano intro but soon leans over towards a heavier side. It comes in a mid pace, it’s hard and pretty rough but also melodic with symphonic twists. Vocally, a band like Within Temptation comes to mind and the tune alters between heavier grounds and more sombre and quiet passages. Also, the refrain is really good and effective. I like this. Slower, down-beat and darkening, “Worst Part Of Me” is also quite heavy where the pre-chorus is rowdy and aggressive and brings along some edgy growls, something that turns up in the chorus as well. Said chorus catches on pretty quick and the whole tune comes across as a rough and heavy progressive metal-ballad. Good one.
Latest single “Glass Crown” is a straight-forward hard-rocker with crunchy guitars, a tuned-down and bouncy rhythm section but also holds big melodies with poppier touches in both verses and chorus. The verses are more groundy and held-back while the chorus lies on the tougher side complete with a distinct and effective, hook-laden vocal-melody. Best track so far. The title-track starts out slower yet chunky and heavy with a down-beat mode. While the chorus is more hard-edged albeit with a symphonic note, there also are breakdowns that bring along some rough and gritty riffage and faster beats. It’s a seven and a half minute, epic metal-belter with varied tempos, a progressive outlook and a cinematic atmosphere. I find the tune decent but it fails to grab me at large.
Starting out on a more laid-back note, a bit soft even, “Bravado” soon burst loose on a heavier and more gritty note, still with a quieter arrangement. It’s a Metal track for sure but with symphonic undertones added. The verses come with a calmer vocal-arrangement but the refrain, complete with big pop-hooks with an 80’s touch and catchy melodies, goes down a more upbeat route. Good one. “Silver Lining”, featuring Amanda Sommerville on guest vocals, is a held-back, down-beat and darkening melancholic Metal number where Sommerville shows off her splendid voice control. We’re treated with a juicy groove, a beefy rhythm and some dramatic vocal-melodies. The main-melody is memorable and chorus is both effective and catchy, making the tune one of the finest moments here with a great dynamic between Sommerville and La Tarroca.
A slow and soft instrumental intermission called “Haven” paves way for the rhythmically slammin’ “Deliverance”, a song that starts out heavy in a mid-pace but gets more uptempo and heavier and rougher when the verse kicks off. The chorus slows things down – still on a heavy note – and brings on more keyboards, a pompous touch and a pop laden vocal melody. It’s an ok track but doesn’t really touch me. Closing track “Eyes Wide Open” is upbeat and straight forward, carried by a solid, heavy rhythm. Still holding some edgy guitars, the tune is more on the symphonic side and brings on a whole lot of keyboard-work complete with a blipping synth. It is a punchy track but the verses are held-back and groundy with a chunky pop-touch while the chorus is both heavy and darkening with a distinct vocal-hook. A good tune and an effective closer.
This is a heavy and quite dark record full of Metal on the modern side of things with a symphonic influence and pop laden vocal melodies both here and there. Just like many Metal albums of today – more often than not by new bands – the production is a bit compressed and would have benefited by a more airy and loose mix which would have made the music breathe more. La Torraca is a damn good singer with a wide register and the musicians are faultless. It’s in the song-writing department the album suffers – it’s not bad as such but too many of the songs are too forgettable. There are potential here, though – maybe an outside co-producer would do the trick?
4/10
Tracklist:
1. Conjure Rains
2. The Race
3. Diamonds And Dark
4. Worst Part Of Me
5. Glass Crown
6. Titanium
7. Bravado
8. Silver Lining
9. Haven
10. Deliverance
11. Eyes Wide Open
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