Brutiful_ViXn
Reign In Metal
Zodiac :  Metal Reputation : 88
Join date : 2012-01-05
Location : Vacationing in Hell
 | |  Norhod - The Blazing Lily (2013) Album Review | |
Norhod - The Blazing Lily (2013)
Wormholedeath Records -- Running Time 45:07
Here we have the debut album from Italian Symphonic/Orchestral/Operatic Metal seven piece Norhod and even though I think we are seeing far too many bands of this type it's still a very good album. If you like metal in the vein of After Forever, ReVamp, Nightwish, Tarja or even the lighter side of Cradle of Filth then you will like this! Formed in 2009, Norhod spent a couple of years suffering from lineup changes and trying to find the right people to fit in. In early 2012 they released their debut EP : "Arianrhod" which piqued the interest of Wormholedeath Records, and they set about writing and recording 'The Blazing Lilly' which has been produced by the band and' Wahoomi Corvi' and mastered by Mika Jussila to great effect.
What you'll notice first, apart from the great instrumentation on opener 'Caer Arianrhod (A Moon Tale Pt.1)' are the very good operatic vocals of Clara Ceccarelli who sounds very reminiscent of Tarja Turunen and Floor Jansen in her After Forever days. Like Tarja she comes across too operatically for me in places and seems quite high in the mix, but believe me, I've heard some very poor female vocalists in the past and Clara is certainly NOT one of those! Likewise, the growls of Giacomo 'Jev' Casa are also good, being quite restrained and not overused and the two of them complement one another very nicely indeed. All the remaining band members, Andrea 'Bistru' Stefani & Giacomo Vannucci on guitars, bassist Matteo Giusti, drummer Francesco Aytano and Michele Tolomei who plays some lovely keyboards, are extremely proficient and the songs, plus the album as a whole flow nicely. There are also some very acceptable folk influences creeping into songs such as 'Through The Forest'
As mentioned though, the downside is that there are a glut of bands playing music like this (Italy, especially in recent times, is producing a lot of Rhapsody & Nightwish type groups) and even though it's one of the better albums I've reviewed in this genre, it just feels like I've heard it all before. I really do not mean that to sound detrimental but put it next to the latest ReVamp album 'Wild Card' and it sounds a bit formulaic! Norhod have seven very capable musicians ,'The Blazing Lily', at forty five minutes in length, does not outstay its welcome and it will very definitely appeal to many people but I would just like some of these bands to grab the bull by the horns and try something a little different!
http://www.norhod.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Norhod
http://www.wormholedeath.com/
Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment byRick Tilley
www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351
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