Who said that Italy is only good for Power Metal? Well, of course we have bands like RHAPSODY and LABYRINTH (I almost forgot to mention LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY, sorry for that), but the Italian Metal scene has so much more to explore, covering the bigger part of the Metal pie. SOUND STORM, hailing from Italy’s Turin, were founded in 2002, and it isn’t hard for the potential listener to discover their love for THERION, SONATA ARCTICA, NIGHTWISH (early) and EPICA. Yup, you guessed right: Symphonic Metal parts and colorful keyboards monopolize the band’s music direction, while the change between operatic and clean, powerful vocals enhanced in total harmony SOUND STORM’s sound, creating some of the most dynamic compositions in today’s European Metal scene. “Immortalia” is the band’s sophomore album, so let’s cut to the chase and see what SOUND STORM are bringing to metalheads’ daily dish.
From the crimson red cover artwork till the melancholic closer “The Portrait”, “Immortalia” is defined by the band’s attention to every detail and this is shown: by observing the immortal female figure on the cover and listening to all these tempo changes and the large collection of sounds in the background. The listener will witness a full blown theatrical play, successfully set by the guitars, the keyboards and the outstandingly neat vocals and the six protagonists in full action. The only thing he has to do to get all these is just push the ‘play’ button and let the music do the talking.
Philippe D’Orange has done his best on the vocals, leaving behind his native accent, adding successfully more points to the album’s dark atmosphere and the undying hunger for speed. Tracks like “Back To Life”, “Blood Of Maiden” and “Call Me Devil” are the solid proof why Italy is considered as one of Europe’s top country in creating stunning atmospheric Power Metal albums, while the theatrical tense in “Faraway”, the almost “Exorcist”-esque “Promises” and the Eastern-laden melodies of “Seven Veils” show clearly whySOUND STORM can be conspicuous from the rest bands of this genre. Sure, someone might find a bit cheesy the use of Latin/Italian lyrics here and there (especially in the operatic parts), but once you have dive inside “Immortalia”’s world, you’ll understand 100% their role since after all there is a script to follow.
SOUND STORM returned in discography almost 3 years after their debut “Twilight Opera”, creating a solid album, able to endure the test of time, justifying completely its title. “Immortalia” contains a lot of things that can satisfy every Symphonic / Power / Epic / Atmospheric Metal devotee, but most of all, can stand out with its massive character and the strong songwriting. Plus, you can enjoy some worth to listen Eric Adams-esque screams in “Watching You Fading”.
01. Immortalia
02. Back To Life
03. The Curse Of The Moon
04. Blood Of Maiden
05. Faraway
06. Promises
07. Call Me Devil
08. Seven Veil
09. Watching You Fading
10. Wrath Of The Storm
11. The Portrait
12. Bloody Tears (bonus)