Vanguard - Hydralchemy (2009)

This band first album was named Succumbra and it was released in 2005 after winning a contest in Wacken Open Air. The band can be classified as dark metal, since they have so many different elements in their music which, by the way, are blended to perfection in most songs.

This album shows a great deal of maturity from the band in their musical composition. All of the instruments complement each other perfectly creating powerful melodies in each of the songs.

The female vocals are also a great complement to the music, since they sound natural and are not overdone like many releases with female vocals. The male vocals, on the other side, are, in my opinion, the only weak element in this album, since when they are used as a complement for the female vocals, they sound out of place. But when they are used separately they are tolerable.

One great addition to the bands sound is the use of the cello in some songs, giving the right feeling to the songs as well as adding more depth to the band’s already rich composition style. They also include a type of negative cover that is enjoyable.

Country: Finland