A few older things as I was traveling over the last few days...
A few not quite as old...
(I always enjoy that Paralydium album. I mean, it's as classic prog(gish) power as it gets, but everything works so well. I like that it combines a Symphony X influence with Nothern European melodic rock sensibilities...great vocals too)
...and a couple of recent ones:
At the Plates is the first (and only) 2024 album I sampled so far...we briefly discussed it in the Friday Releases thread. Yes, the concept is silly (although it does make me chuckle), but musically this is...not silly
I've already given it a couple of listens. Highly enjoyable death metal.
Helga is a 2023 release, only found out about it at the VERY end of it, and it was probably the most listened-to album of the last week of the year
From Sweden, the band name is from the singer. Think maybe a more "rock" Sylvaine, at times driven by guitars, at times more folky/ethereal. The ending of Burden is not
terribly far from, say, The Cranberries. Only a couple of spots with black-ish vocals. To be honest, it's almost like she wanted to do a "token" thing with those...it's really maybe 1 minute total over a couple of songs - Farval is the one tune that overall has more of an extreme metal influence. The ending of Sum en Trumma is the other one. The album is VERY good, imo. The usual suspects (yes, Litho, I'm looking at you
) might enjoy this one.