Angelwings came together in April 2013, although they were experienced musicians who had been playing in different bands in Gibraltar. They initially decided to perform several Nightwish covers, and it was from here that they took the step to become the first symphonic metal band from the rock. This certainly doesn’t sound like a debut recording, and I fully expected to see that this was a band formed from musicians who had previously been in other well-known bands. But no, this is a debut in the truest sense of the word, and is both powerful and wonderfully played and recorded.
For the most part this is more straightforward symphonic rock than one would expect from a band heavily influenced by Nightwish – no folk elements here, and the keyboards often have a much smaller part to play than one might expect, with a heavier focus on the guitars. The songs are just that, wonderful melodic and dynamic numbers that dare the listener to keep smiling and reaching to turn the volume up a little more. Divi Cano has a wonderful soprano voice which comes across more Floor Jansen or Anneke van Giersbergen than Tarja Turunen, definitely a good thing in my book. She is totally at home singing against both delicate backgrounds or those that are far more metallic, and it is hard to imagine that this is a new voice to the scene.
This really is a wonderful album for anyone into symphonic metal. It isn’t released until June 23rd, but make a not on your calendar, as if you are into this style of music then this is a “must have”.
