Lord of the Lost : "OPVS NOIR Vol. 1"

These guys are back with their grandiose take on metal that feels like it's gotten bigger this time around, and midway into the opening track, you can hear how they are moving up the bill on European festivals with this album. This comes after opening slots for Iron Maiden, which made them step up their game. Though they are sticking to what they have been doing up until this point in their careers and not dumbing things down for an American audience, so you are either into this or you are not. Yes, the ahrsher vocals might appeal a little more to Western audiences, but they're only one aspect. 

I liked the darker, brooding verses of "My Sanctuary," which flirted with a gothier sound, but the chorus was too upbeat in its anthemic declaration, which feels like something the 69 Eyes might have done. Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation lends her voice to "Light Can Only in the Darkness," bringing a symphonic metal sound to the forefront, which is the dominant element of the overall sound. This album sounds very European, as heard on "I Will Die In It", which works, but things start to get a little for theatrical on "Moonstruck" 

"Damage" finds the symphonic elements colliding with the more industrial influence to feel like VNV Nation jamming with Dimmu Borgir. It works better than some of the more flowery flourishes of the other songs. "Ghosts' follows a very similar formula to the previous song. To his credit, Chris Harms is one of the better singers to rise in prominence in recent years. "Lords of Fyre" sounds like they wrote this with Andrew Loyd Weber for a folk metal musical. It does build into a heavier section, and this album feels more metal than most of what I've heard from them. 

Predictably from the title alone, "The Things We Do Love" starts off as more of a ballad. When the drums kick into the verse works much better, and Harms' vocal phrasing is interesting to redeem the song of its sappier elements. "The Sadness In Everything" touches too closely into the sonic neighborhood of Nightwish for me. It does not feel dark or heavy, but like something from a more aggressive Disney musical. There is a similar drama to the last song, but it is more balanced with darker moods. Overall, this is an ambitious album. I appreciate the emotive qualities, sometimes they are just done in a manner that is not my thing, but I can still hear how they made the album they set out to make, for their fan base that wants this sort of thing so for that reason I will give this a 9.  

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