As a stopgap between 2000's Lightbringer and the forthcoming Mother Darkness album, Futurepast is a five-track, 27-minute EP featuring music both old and new from this female-fronted Italian progressive/symphonic metal band. The good news is that the new material is way better than the old material, which dates back to Power Symphony's 1995 demo tape.
Both "Nine Moons" and "Infinite Machine" offer a taste of what could come on Mother Darkness with heavier riffs, fewer keyboards and a newfound sense of melody that makes singer Michela D'Orlando sound more than like a Lana Lane wannabe. The Celtic influences and well-schooled lyrics – another band referencing Mordred and Orion? – of those first two tracks stand in stark contrast to "Blood of My Enemies," the Manowar cover that doesn't sound a whit like Manowar with D'Orlando singing it.
The remastered versions of "Army of Saints" and "Mother Moon" come off like generic European metal – decent enough to have helped Power Symphony nab a record deal, but not powerful enough to stand up against the new tracks here. Futurepast is a fitting introduction to Power Symphony, but my money's on Mother Darkness (whose release is imminent) to make or break this band.
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