Band: FERALIA
Country: Italy
Title: Helios Manifesto
Label: Vacula Productions
Year: 2019
Style: Black Metal
Review:
I thought the band name is Helios and the album Manifesto, didn't even see the band logo on the album cover, so from my point of view this is a very bad choice of cover art positioning; the cover art is also quite simplistic and childish, so don't know who might take this project seriously by just looking at this CD cover, but let's get over it and pass on to the music itself.
We're treated with 7 tracks in half an hour of playing time, I'd say quite a perfect duration for an old-school type of Black Metal (with a hint of old-school Pagan Black Metal), because their music is built on old-school patterns, so be aware of that when "stepping inside". Mid-tempo to fast paced rhythms, a mostly raw and cruel atmosphere balanced at times by organic inserts of melodic guitar leads on a slower pace (also the upfront bass lines are worth mentioning as they heavily influence the overall result). Second wave of Norwegian Black Metal springs to mind when listening to this album, and Feralia do it well, they even deliver some memorable passages here and there, passages that make this album worth your while. Nothing progressive here, but the execution, the harmonies and the overall atmospheres give the impression we're dealing with a band that knows exactly what and how to present to the public. Honest, angry, varied, a bit memorable, Helios Manifesto is a more than reasonable debut for these Italian folks.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 7.5/10