Released by: Nadir Music
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Progressive Heavy/Power Metal
Links: http://www.fatalimpact.no/
Line Up:
Jørn Øyhus – Vocals & guitar
Per Anders Olsen – Guitar
Sondre Svendsen – Drums
Tracklist:
01. Esoteria
02. A New Era
03. Where ?he Alders Grow
04. Silent December
05. End Time Theater
06. The Blind Mans Eye
07. The Arrival
08. A View ?o Hell
09. Under ?he Stars
10. The Final Solace
11. Verity ?f Splendor
12. Funeral
Norwegian band Fatal Impact was founded more than 10 years ago and since they recorded several demos and self-released CD “Law of Repulsion” (2008). However the new band’s work “Esoteria” is the first official album which was released by Nadir Music on 28th of January.
The band plays Progressive Heavy/Power Metal which is similar to late works of Brainstorm. Dark and sometimes even depressive music with really heavy forceful riffs and wonderful melodic parts. Progressive Metal influences are quite noticeable here, each song contains several different melodies and structures. Music is complex enough and musicians are quite technical. The production is good and the sound is very powerful but a bit compressed and overloaded to my mind.
The vocalist Jørn Øyhus has a good voice with a wide range and he uses it quite well. It reminds me Andy B. Frank (Brainstorm, Symphorce, Ivanhoe) but he doesn’t use high screaming parts as often. Guitar parts are solid with mighty pounding riffs and nice interesting solos. I should also mention that bass guitar is not always on the background and plays on its own lines.
The album begins with less dynamic tracks and mid-tempo numbers like “Where the Alders Grow” and “Silent December” are slightly boring. Hopefully the next songs are more powerful and driven. “End Time Theater” includes bright shredding solos, “The Blind Man’s Eye” is very heavy and aggressive song however the next track “The Arrival” is even more brutal mostly due to non-typical use of harsh back vocal lines but it also contains great melodic parts.
“A View to Hell” is another decent up-tempo song. The beginning of “Under the Stars” resembles famous “Fear of the Dark“ (Iron Maiden) but then this song continues in different and more dynamic manner. Melodic “The Final Solace” is the fastest song on the album and I like it very much. Some unusual mid-eastern elements are heard in “Verity of Splendor”. The final number “Funeral” is surely the best track here. It is very impressive song, varied and catchy, with interesting bass lines and nice keyboards parts, especially organ ones.
So “Esoteria” is a very strong album with many interesting moments. I like most of the tracks here though a couple of songs are less impressive. Fatal Impact is a promising band and musicians could record a really worthy CD. A must have for fans of dark Progressive and Heavy/Power Metal.
Written by Egor “EG Power”
Ratings Egor 8/10
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