Glasya: Attarghan

You just got to love a great story and that is precisely what Portuguese symphonic metal band Glasya bring to the table with their sophomore effort titled Attarghan. The band has been around since 2017 and released their debut album Heaven’s Demise in 2019. This is my first exposure to the band, and they certainly bring superb musicianship and highly crafted symphonic arrangements to their brand of orchestral metal. I can certainly hear bands like Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation, so if those bands scratch an itch, Glasya should provide plenty of exciting moments.

Getting back to the story, legend has it that Attarghan was the viscous and evil leader of a Persian army that brought death upon the land wherever they roamed. Attarghan felt ashamed of his atrocities and decided to change his ways, eventually fighting the same army he once commanded. Spoken word narration throughout the disc propels the story along and Nélson Raposo has a deep, resonating voice, well suited for such a role. After the brief title track which introduces the story, the disc is in full swing with “From Enemy To Hero�, a dramatic and intense slice of symphonic metal that brings to mind Tarja-era Nightwish, complete with full bodied choirs, operatic lead vocals, tasty riffs, and lead guitar heroics. It might be pretentious but who cares? It’s a great start to the album. “Way To Victory� is another bombastic track, but this time lead vocalist Eduarda Soeiro dials in the operatics just a bit, her versatility on full display. With the intense “The Retaliation� the band get fast and heavy, and the mix of male and female vocals works great. A clean keyboard and sweet guitar solo highlight the catchy “First Taste Of Freedom� and the Eastern tinged “Journey To Akhbar� goes down nicely with its exotic string arrangement and another stunning vocal performance and arrangement.

In a genre that is saturated with bands of similar ilk, Glasya have created a truly cinematic listening experience. Their take on symphonic metal storytelling is like a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended!

Glasya are:
Eduarda Soeiro (vocals)
Davon Van Dave (keyboards, orchestrations)
Hugo Esteves (rhythm guitars, backing vocals)
Bruno Prates (lead guitars)
António Durães (bass guitar)
Bruno Ramos (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Attarghan (intro)
2. From Enemy To Hero
3. Way To Victory
4. The Retaliation
5. First Taste Of Freedom
6. Journey To Akhbar
7. Queen’s Temptation
8. Battle For Trust
9. The Sound Of 10,000 Feet Marching
10. Within The Sandstorm
11. We Weren’t Meant To Be
12. At The Empire’s Gate
13. Eye To Eye, Sword By Sword
14. A New Era Has Come
15. The Legend Lives On

Added: December 5th 2022
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band on Facebook
Hits: 607
Language: english

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