Symphonic Metal

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    Epica - Aspiral (2025)

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    Damn, it is the first word that comes to mind when listening to Epica’s latest effort “Aspiral”. Just when you think that a band can’t get any better, this Dutch outfit returns with eleven tracks and over an hour of some of their most explosive and bombastic music. Filled with signature Epica-style moments and tons of melody and catchiness, this release completely surpasses the level of awesomeness that the band delivered a few years back with “Omega”.

    Instantly opening with the banger “Cross the Divide”, the band fully immerses the listener into their world of dramatic orchestrations, lush guitar work, and a very hectic and yet digestible pace that is masterfully led by Simone Simons talented vocals. In a very epic fashion, the band perfectly blends dramatic choirs with crafty tempo changes. Creating mesmerizing songs like “Arcana”, “Darkness Dies in Light - A New Age Dawns Part VII”, and the super bombastic and catchy “Fight to Survive - The Overdrive Effect”, one of their best tracks to date.

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    Delain - Dance with the Devil (2024)

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    Continuing the momentum gained with their 2023 release “Dark waters”, Delain is back with a bombastic EP, titled “Dance with the Devil”. Showcasing the new incarnation of the band’s synth driven sound, this EP is far from a regular one as it delivers two brand new tracks, two reworked fan-favorites, nine live tracks, and two instrumentals. Packing plenty of bang for your buck, this release also foreshadows the band’s return to North America with Xandria in 2025, so be prepared for a party.

    Opening with “Dance with the Devil”, we get the new bombastic and playful Delain with the charismatic Diana Leah settling into the band’s sound with her talented vocals and Martijn Westerholt really going wild with the synths. The lush “The Reaping” continues with a very crafty Synth-wave vibe alongside a hefty dose of distorted guitars and a good amount of catchiness. The band’s sound in these two new songs is quite explosive and leverages Diana’s vocals even better, creating masterful Symphonic Metal music.

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    Champions of Sorrow - The Night Makes Us (2024)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have a very interesting duo, Champions of Sorrow, with a crafty take on Symphonic Death Metal/Deathcore. On their debut EP, “The Night Makes Us”, this outfit delivers a Fleshgod Apocalypse-meets-Lorna Shore onslaught of 16 minutes of well crafted music filled with epic arrangements, crushing drumming, and hearty growls to keep things heavy.

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    Wintersun - Time II (2024)

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    Unleashing one of the most cinematic Metal releases of 2024, today we have Finland’s Wintersun and their opus “Time II”. Filled with the band’s signature Melodic Metal approach mixed with lush symphonic elements, this release delivers six dramatic tracks that cover nearly 50-minutes of superbly engaging and elegant music. The band continues to improve and enrich their sound and this release elevates it to a whole new level.

    Opening with the instrumental “Fields of Snow”, we get a continuation of the Asian elements that the first “Time” release had, creating a very lively and engaging atmosphere. The epicness starts with the ravaging “The Way of The Fire”, featuring some insane lead guitars by none other than Teemu Mäntysaari, alongside dramatic symphonic arrangements and very well crafted tempo changes. This song gives vibes of a mixture of Children of Bodom meets Warmen meets Ensiferum, so you know it is beyond awesome.

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    Simone Simons - Vermillion (2024)

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    Finally getting around to unleashing her ‘solo’ music, Simone Simons of Epica fame delivers one of the most bombastic and explosive Symphonic/Progressive Metal releases of 2024. Featuring ten tracks and over forty six minutes of music, this album shows the versatility of Simone’s vocals and creativity. With tracks reminding us from everything between Epic and Ayreon, this release will certainly be a hit with her fans and fans of the genre.

    Opening with the mysterious “Aeterna”, we get a very bombastic and engaging first taste into this excellent release. More than just more of the same, the tracks in this release add electronic and progressive elements to clearly delineate that this is Simone’s own project and not just an extension of Epica. Tracks like, our personal favorite, “In Love We Rust”, really showcase her vocals in a different light, with more of an Ayreon-esque edge.

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    Fleshgod Apocalypse - Opera (2024)

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    As one of the most anticipated releases of 2024, today we have Italy’s Fleshgod Apocalypse marking their return with the impressive “Opera”. As their first full length release in five years, this album delivers ten tracks and nearly 45 minutes of high-octane Orchestral arrangements paired with crafty Technical Death Metal and lush vocals. With a very lively pace and masterful arrangements, this release is definitely one of the best that the band has ever released.

    Setting the mood with a very operatic opener, “I Can Never Die” opens this release with pummeling drumming alongside dramatic orchestrations and the super vocals of Veronica Bordacchini. Francesco Paoli handles the growls quite well, providing masterful contrast between the female counterparts. Aside from being explosive and crafty, the band’s music perfectly exploits catchy and cinematic elements to keep this release rolling with excellent songs like “Pendulum”, “Bloodclock”, and the Omen-esque “At War With My Soul”.

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    Axamenta - Spires (2024)

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    Returning after a 10 year hiatus, Axamenta is a very unique Belgian band that combines cinematic elements with a well polished dose of Melodic Death/Black Metal. In this return EP, the band delivers a 23-minute track that is divided in seven acts, creating a very immersive and engaging experience. Recommended for fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh, this release is both explosive and bombastic.

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    Rhapsody of Fire - Challenge The Wind (2024)

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    Alex Staropoli and company are back with another fantastic release titled “Challenge the Wind”. The band’s signature high-octane Symphonic Power Metal continues to deliver epic songs as they unleash ten tracks and over 63 minutes of pure epic music. Rhapsody of Fire is a band in its own league and with this release they further consolidate their legacy as one of the best in the genre.

    Opening with the perky album title track, we instantly get dreamy keyboard melodies, engaging vocal arrangements and intense guitar leads. Pretty much all the previously mentioned elements are staples of the band’s sound and they continue to deliver epic and memorable songs like “Whispers of Doom”, “The Bloody Pariah” and the 16-minute epic “Vanquished By Shadows”. This last track is definitely one of our favorites from the band as it weaves back and forth between moody passages with soaring vocals and dramatic tempo changes.

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    Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain (2024)

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    As one of our favorite bands, it was quite a shock when Ronny Thorsen ended the band back in 2013. However, we, as many others, were quite excited that they decided to come back in 2020 and with none other than Aylin on vocals. Fast-forward four more years and we finally have a new release, an EP this time, from this band and it is all that we expected and a bit more. If you've ever been a fan of 2000’s Gothic Metal, you will certainly be familiar with the band, and if not, this is a great release to get you started.

    Opening with the explosive EP title track, we get the band’s powerful distorted guitars paired with crafty drumming, subtle and yet dominant atmospherics and the singular vocals of Aylin. Bringing back members like Runar Hansen (guitars) and Jonathan A. Perez (drums), the band sounds like in their best days, with superbly catchy and engaging tracks like “Take These Tears”, which send chills down our spine, bringing back memories of the earlier days of the band.

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    Dialith - Alter (2024)

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    Unleashing a very lively and engaging EP, today we have North American Symphonic/Power Metal outfit Dialith with “Alter”. Featuring four bombastic tracks and around 14 minutes of music, this release is a great calling card from a promising young band. If you are a fan of bands like Visions of Atlantis, Xandria, Serenity, Delain, etc., this release will be a solid addition to your rotation.

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