What started with a couple of single releases back in 2019, eventually gave way to a bigger perspective of full album. From preproduction to actual album completion, much consideration has been given to the overall contents of the debut album from Everture. It is not difficult to comprehend when first albums often create lasting impressions and therefore perfection is often sought-after at every available junction. With ten tracks being the perfect ten for Everture when it comes to their first full-length album ‘Emerge’, first impressions are immediate given the frantic rhythms of opening tracks ‘In Between’ and ‘For Tomorrow’. In addition to the muscular fury however, Everture thread plenty of melodic passages throughout their music where the previously mentioned ‘For Tomorrow’ is one such example where vocals flit between singing and throaty yelling, and guitars dictate in similar style and accompanied by accelerated drum patterns. Attention to detail is a definite requirement when applying all the components to ‘Emerge’ where emotions are projected in great ranging storms of sound one instance, and then giving way to much lighter shades and thus suggesting some form of optimism such as the track ‘Undersky’. But this is the strength and qualities of Everture because the band inject much variation into their predominantly metal sound by coming up with songs with a social conscience (‘Ivory Tower’), thoughtful ballads as ‘Promises’ with plenty of musical crossover appeal, to caustic and reflective belter ‘White Lies, Black Skies’, before delving even deeper via quite stunning, ’My 52 Shades’. As debut albums go, Everture has applied all their knowhow into ‘Emerge’ and come out with an album rich in detail and much variation where metal, pop, and rock music merge to create a very modern metal album that will require repeat visits before becoming fully accustomed with its contents. In other words, a perfect start for Everture.

It’s good to be out of the comfort zone occasionally, and that’s exactly where ‘From The Void’ places the listener. A truly gritty and on the edge debut album from Finnish modern metal band Chronoform, ‘From The Void’ fills in the spaces with combined influences of traditional and modern elements of the metal genre. With this being the band’s debut LP, Chronoform make a dramatic entrance from the start via the bone crushing assault that is ‘Conquer’, which pummels the senses in a combined assault of throaty vocals (Niko-Petteri Westerholm), frenetic drumming (Vänni Panula) and dexterous guitars (Aapo Hakamaa and Eero Mäkiranta) that give the impression of providing a route away from the considerable “threat” at the centre of this track. The accompanying video referencing George Orwell’s 1984 and other similar works such as V for Vendetta, expands ‘Conquer’ further by adding a finale that floats on a beautiful segment of piano and one that is bathed visually in red smoke and a reminder of what the future may hold. Unfortunately, the distraction is temporary as the rest of the contents of ‘From The Void’ reveals. Just as ‘Conquer’ made a dramatic entrance, ditto ‘Sight of Eternity’ that continues the previous song’s theme yet really highlights those expansive elements of Chronofrom’s sound where the shift in gears is evident from the vocals to the riffs coming thick and fast, but then opening up a surprise package midway through with airy electronica. It’s utterly compelling from start to finish and a sign of major talent at work. From such details, ‘Purist’ offers further experimentation with subtle use of keys and the ‘noise’ turned down slightly, yet never loses its raw edge. Elsewhere, ‘Dusk’ highlights once more Chronoform’s skilled craftmanship as they generate a bile-induced racket that is the sound of a band turning itself inside out whilst drilling its message deep inside the listener’s cranium. The closing ‘Subatomic’ expands on its predecessor by adding traditional elements of metal via its guitars with the modern touches, but it is these newer ingredients that standout here because it’s the sign of band looking to the future in terms of direction. Despite the lengthy gestation it has taken ‘From The Void’ to finally raise its head, the wait has been truly worthwhile because Chronoform has delivered a debut record of high quality, and one that reveals genuine sparks of imagination that rub shoulder to shoulder with the modern and traditional forms of the metal genre as it bleeds from the top down in a compelling noise and revealing a real tour de force at work.