Secret Sphere - Blackened Heartbeat (Frontiers Music Srl)
More Italian power metal in what seems to be a year for it. This time it's power metal pioneers Secret Sphere, Aldo Lonobile taking a break from his producer/guitarist duties on other Frontiers acts, he comes back with the band he formed in 1997. Blackened Heartbeat is their 10th studio album and they have tried to write an album that is darker than they have released before. When tracks like Aura feature colossal orchestral swells and thrashy riffs, making me think of Symphony X, then I'd say it was mission accomplished as they have brought a nastier sound to their established power/prog metal pallette.
Blackened Heartbeat is a concept album dealing with a depressed psychologist who generates their own emotions from their patients. The concept lends itself to darker brooding tracks Secret Sphere even adding some gruff vocals on Bloody Wednesday countering Roberto Ramon Messina's cleans (this is second album after returning to the band in 2020). Antonio Agate provides some of his most impressive orchestrations yet with choral backing, dramatic strings and booming power. They augment every track perfectly as the rhythm section find themselves unleashed for faster more aggressive style. The keys adding melody along with Lonobile's clean leads, where he often shreds up a storm, One Day I Will explodes with lots of power metal bombast.
The use of piano and mid paced riffage on the proggy Captive is just as effective, the prog continues on Dr. Julius B which has several shifts, maintaining the aggression this album has brought to the Secret Sphere. With Confession doing both the power/thrash/prog metal brilliantly, it leads into the final part of the story, a track such as Anna has the emotion of Queensryche running through it thickly, Lonobile's collab with Geoff Tate paying dividends. While the finale of the title track ends the album with histrionic power metal flurries. Blackened Heartbeat is Secret Sphere taking a step into the louder realms of metal while keeping their power metal history. 8/10
Temple Balls is possibly the worst name for a band I've ever seen. I'm sorry to be blunt but it's ridiculous, it also makes me think that the band are going to be either 'grind/porn/sick' core band or a joke band like Steel Panther. But it seems they are a serious band who do play sleazy/glammy hard rock but without the 'comedic' lyrics. Yes ok they're corny but then Temple Balls (shudder), that's in keeping with the style of music the band play. I'd compare them more to a band such as Reckless Love where the sounds of the 80's are given a 2023 make over sonically but still rely on big riffs, solo friendly guitars and huge choruses.
They do vary from this though with the battle metal of Stand Up And Fight, the anthemic street metal of Prisoner In Time and just when you think things can't get more 80's they unleash Strike Like A Cobra based on Cobra Kai/Karate Kid and even features some electronic drums for realism. Actually if you listen to this album, you get a jukebox of 80's rock bands, No Reason having some Def Leppard, Northern Lion a bit of Dokken, Dead Weight some Ratt and on the title track yet more battle metal. Avalanche lays a thick blanket of rock on you from various sides of the genre. Enjoyable but not essential, and that name... 7/10
Hugo's Voyage - Inception (Frontiers Music Srl)
Starting life as a Journey tribute band Hugo's Journey are now a band in their own right and Inception is their debut album. The Americans absolutely nail the Journey sound with this record. Slick AOR with lots of twinkling keys, searing solos, emotional ballads and some soulful vocals. Yeah the vocals, if you want to sound like Journey you have to have the Steve Perry pipes, and Hugo is as close as possible, if you've listened to Valentine or Open Skyz then you'll know how talented he is it you can listen to Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love and hear that Perry-like mix of soaring power and fragility.
Behind him Lance Millard's synths slither on Sound Of A Broken Heart while the piano drives In My Heart. Dana Spellman's drums shifting the beat between the slick pop tracks such as this and the speedy rockers such as Goin' Away. On the strings Greg Smith's bass is perfect for the slower numbers like A Friend Like You while Robby Hoffman cranks out some rock riffs and lots of killer leads on I'll Be Around, Crazy What Love Can Do and The Voyage. The slight issue I have is that they have an abundance of ballads which brings a laid back feel to the record, so sometimes the rockier songs get lost a little. However if you're a Journey fan and found Freedom hit and miss, then come and join Hugo's Voyage on their Inception. 7/10
Ignescent - Fight In Me (Frontiers Music Srl)
In terms of modernity, Chicago band are as modern as it gets in the music world. Relying heavily on electronic behind industrial rock riffs, Fight In Me is their debut album, mainly existing to showcase the vocals of Jennifer Benson and while her voice is decent, it's really angsty, overly so on the sneering and along with that the music leaves me really cold.
Carried Me sounds like a Eurovision track but with a breakdown. The whole album is like this, emulating the likes of In This Moment, New Year's Day et al Fight In Me just feels a little samey, no matter how many unifying anthems you create if the backing is the same riff, riff, electronic pulse, breakdown thing and the vocals far too high in the mix it can get tiring to listen too. 5/10