Xandria - Neverworld’s End

Xandria is a hard working German symphonic metal band… after years in the scene and various line-up changes, I believe they found the person that helped them to release their best album so far… and that’s no other than “Neverworld’s End”. The new pompous soprano Manuela Kraller is the driving force behind the band since 2010 when she became part of them. It took them almost 5 years to release a new work but it was worth waiting for.

 

Xandria made a break with this album… they evoked memories from the old Nightwish… you know, the days when Tarja was in the band… thus… Xandria nowadays are more like the old Nightwish than Nightwish themselves. Does it sound kind of frustrating? Well… it may sound so and some will also say that Xandria are lacking originality and need to find their own identity… but you can’t skip the fact that this album is well-written and well-produced at all. In any case, songs such as: “A Prophecy of Worlds to Fall”, “Forevermore”, “Soulcrusher”, “The Dream is Still Alive”, “A Thousand Letters” (my beloved one) & “The Nomad’s Crown” will make the day of any symphonic heavy/power metal fan. The production is excellent and powerful… while the heavy/power metal influences are blending with the folk and the symphonic ones wonderfully. All the fans of Nightwish (Tarja era) and the symphonic metal freaks will certainly like it.