Fledgling MelodicRockRecords.com takes a break from releasing superior -- well -- melodic rock to issue its first metal release. Italy's Violet Sun is a powerful symphonic-metal band formed by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dario Grillo (Platens, Thy Majestie) and singer Alessandra Amata (Catania) that still manages to contain key signatures of this young label's other releases: smart arrangements, stellar production and melodies aplenty. In fact, Violet Sun considers its debut album, Loneliness in Supremacy, a hybrid of classical, opera, heavy metal, Eastern, progressive and AOR music.
With clean singing from both Grillo and Amata, Violet Sun's sound echoes that of Delain and Kamelot, although there are moments that also recall Enchant ("When the Lights Go Down"). Amata is blessed with a natural voice, which shines Violet Sun away from gothic-metal corners and gives the band a broader reach. Officially a trio, Violet Sun also features a sax player (with an unexpectedly moving performance on "Falling in Love") and an opera choir. But don't expect anything too over the top here. "Cross the Line" and "Pray on the Grave" come closest to the traditional female-fronted metal sound, a la vintage Nightwish or Epica.
With a running time of more than an hour, Loneliness in Supremacy rambles slightly, but it's still a colorful album that demands your attention and bridges the gap between melodic hard rock and symphonic metal.
Track Listing:
1) Dust in the Wind
2) Inside Out
3) Midnight
4) When the Lights Go Down
5) Cross the Line
6) Falling in Love
7) Where Is My Way Home
8) My Flame Still Burns
9) Pray on the Grave
10) Break Your Chains
11) Synthetic Pleasures
12) Loneliness in Supremacy
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