Southern Skies
Remnants of a Repeated Future, Part 1
Independent Release
2019
Southern Skies are a band hailing from Argentina that hasn’t been around for such a long time only coming together in 2015 when members of Vhäldemar and War Raven joined up to form this band in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since then, they’ve self-released two albums – this one inclusive and by virtue of the title, we should expect a third one, sometime sooner or later.
Their style is highly reminiscent of Angra (Edu era), Viper, Dark Avenger and the like. Heavy but yet melodic power metal with impressive guitar chops and high pitched vocals, like they used to make them some twenty years ago. While I don’t have my ear on the ground for each and every band that comes out, usually worthy ones tend to filter through and these guys are surely on the path to become a firm favorite, if they keep it up.
“Bending Light” is a contemporary sounding intro, which opens the album, swiftly giving way to “Southern Skies (A Dark End)”… while I guess the Angra influence is clear, there are also traces of European bands like Vision Divine, Labyrinth and even a bit of Helloween as the riff is pretty meaty. Basically, it’s a good track, until the chorus and solo elevate it to “greatness”.
“Borrow Dreams” has similar influences, but even slightly reminded me of the lyricism of early Conception, at their most power metal, which as you might be able to infer, means it must be another good track!
“The Domino Effect” is decidedly more prog oriented and while it remains powerful, it does so in a way that reminded me quite a bit of all those Italian bands… the solo at first has a Bill Tsamis sort of air, but then it becomes more typical of shred maestros.
“Supreme Domination” might go a little overboard with its drumwork and pretty much everything else after that, being flashy prog that wishes to show off the virtuosity of the performers, but slightly suffers due to that. It still manages to come across as a pretty sympathetic tune, impressive even, but I think that a little more restraint and focus on melody might have benefited it more.
“Nothing” does that, being a ballad, albeit one with unusually busy drums, which turn it into a power metal ballad before long.
“Ritual of a Blind Eye” begins with some impressive guitar wizardry and is even harsher, think Blind Guardian (maybe), but with more whimsical vocals…
“The Last Raven Flies” encompasses a lot of the qualities that characterize the band and if I needed to describe it with a few words, melodic and lyrical would come out, without haste.
Last but certainly not least, “Glimpse of the Sun (A Soul’s Eclipse)” shows that the band can compose and perform a tune in excess of twelve minutes without losing their focus or direction.
They make sure that they shift the direction slightly every couple of minutes, from a nice intro to a main section a solo and so on and so forth, so there’s a logical flow and not too much repetition.
Ohh and the acoustic outro, with its wild flamenco like licks is quite a highlight.
The production is exemplary, considering this is self-producer really with an organic sound and a balanced mix, that could maybe be a little less boomy, but is pretty okay anyway. Definitely a band, worth discovering and at this rate one that might become trailblazers of the scene in the not so distant future. Keep up the good work guys!
Their style is highly reminiscent of Angra (Edu era), Viper, Dark Avenger and the like. Heavy but yet melodic power metal with impressive guitar chops and high pitched vocals, like they used to make them some twenty years ago. While I don’t have my ear on the ground for each and every band that comes out, usually worthy ones tend to filter through and these guys are surely on the path to become a firm favorite, if they keep it up.
“Bending Light” is a contemporary sounding intro, which opens the album, swiftly giving way to “Southern Skies (A Dark End)”… while I guess the Angra influence is clear, there are also traces of European bands like Vision Divine, Labyrinth and even a bit of Helloween as the riff is pretty meaty. Basically, it’s a good track, until the chorus and solo elevate it to “greatness”.
“Borrow Dreams” has similar influences, but even slightly reminded me of the lyricism of early Conception, at their most power metal, which as you might be able to infer, means it must be another good track!
“The Domino Effect” is decidedly more prog oriented and while it remains powerful, it does so in a way that reminded me quite a bit of all those Italian bands… the solo at first has a Bill Tsamis sort of air, but then it becomes more typical of shred maestros.
“Supreme Domination” might go a little overboard with its drumwork and pretty much everything else after that, being flashy prog that wishes to show off the virtuosity of the performers, but slightly suffers due to that. It still manages to come across as a pretty sympathetic tune, impressive even, but I think that a little more restraint and focus on melody might have benefited it more.
“Nothing” does that, being a ballad, albeit one with unusually busy drums, which turn it into a power metal ballad before long.
“Ritual of a Blind Eye” begins with some impressive guitar wizardry and is even harsher, think Blind Guardian (maybe), but with more whimsical vocals…
“The Last Raven Flies” encompasses a lot of the qualities that characterize the band and if I needed to describe it with a few words, melodic and lyrical would come out, without haste.
Last but certainly not least, “Glimpse of the Sun (A Soul’s Eclipse)” shows that the band can compose and perform a tune in excess of twelve minutes without losing their focus or direction.
They make sure that they shift the direction slightly every couple of minutes, from a nice intro to a main section a solo and so on and so forth, so there’s a logical flow and not too much repetition.
Ohh and the acoustic outro, with its wild flamenco like licks is quite a highlight.
The production is exemplary, considering this is self-producer really with an organic sound and a balanced mix, that could maybe be a little less boomy, but is pretty okay anyway. Definitely a band, worth discovering and at this rate one that might become trailblazers of the scene in the not so distant future. Keep up the good work guys!