Innovation, new interpretation and love of playing. Thank you very much, that’s the way it’s supposed to be! Now the name ALKEMYST can be added to groups like Heavenly, Fairyland and Dyslesia when you’re talking about French melodic metal… which would take a while, however. The guys of ALKEMYST are no newcomers to the scene – the band has existed since 1992, albeit under a different moniker, and that becomes very obvious when you listen to the album. The guitarists Severin Bonneville and Arnaud Ménard expertly let their fingers run over the fretboards and manage to create both fast-as-fuck solos and fat, heavy riffing. They are supported by bass player Denis Mellion and drummer Arnaud Corby, who add the necessary dynamics to the songs. Singer Ramon Messina (who is from Italy, and also sings in Secret Sphere) has a really wide ranged voice, even though he mostly stays in the high pitched areas. The first three songs Still Alive, It’s Time and Up To Heaven’s Gate (after a short intro) offer nothing but pure melodies, and have enough memorable choruses to satisfy the average melodic metalhead. Then come some rather progressive tunes, where Ramon’s voice kind of sounds like James LaBrie from Dream Theater. Pretty cool. The CD has enough variation and tempo changes to avoid the dreaded boredom, and the production (by Mika Jussila / Finnvox studios) is also a killer. For fans of this type of metal: Listen fast, and then buy!

Alkemyst