Alterium – Of War And Flames

Alterium
Of War And Flames
Label: AFM Records
Out: March 8^th, 2024
Playing time: 42:20

I have to admit, the split of Kalidia in October 2022 took me completely by surprise. I had only met singer Nicoletta Rosellini at the Metal Queen’s Burning Night in 2019. The band presented their second album “The Frozen Throne” there. It can’t really have been due to the chemistry within the band. After all, two former band mates, (live) guitarist Paolo Campitelli and drummer Dario Gozzi, are back in the line-up. However, according to the press release, the singer wanted to take a different path and realise her full potential as a singer and songwriter. The reason why I listened to this album, of course, is that I’ve always liked Nicoletta’s voice, not only with Kalidia but also with Walk In Darkness and The Erinyes.

Of course, I was excited about the new features. But “Drag Me To Hell” would have fitted well on the last Kalidia album. That’s not a downgrade. On the contrary, Nicoletta is on the same high level with Alterium. And that’s a good thing. An impressive video was produced for “Siren’s Call”. Here you can see the band in action. Beautiful melodies are at the centre of this mid-tempo rocker. With a great guitar solo as the highlight. The title track “Of War And Flames” starts with electric piano and synth strings before the musicians are driven by Double Bass attacks. Nevertheless, it remains highly melodic here too. There are also epic choruses. “Firebringer” is a straightforward rocker with a high tempo. “Crossroads Inn” gets off to an extremely epic start. The melody of the orchestration is taken over by the guitars shortly afterwards. The riffs set the rhythm of this Metal anthem. “Shadowsong” starts abruptly with guitar hooks. Shortly afterwards, the tempo increases, which is mainly dictated by the drums. The chorus is easy to sing along to. Later, the guitars increase the speed once again. A lyric video was shot for the ballad “Crystaline”. Impressive landscape shots in which the singer is faded in. After a quiet start, “Heroine Of The Sea” soon begins with heavy guitar riffs. A rhythmic song in the mid-tempo range. Also, with a sing-along chorus. “Chasing The Sun” starts with epic choirs but the Double Bass soon strikes again. Nicoletta sings here partly in her lower vocal range. The vocals sound a little hectic in places, as do the guitars. Again, with a big, fast guitar solo. This concludes the regular part of the album. The Sabaton cover “Bismarck” follows, almost as a bonus. And this version is musically damn close to the original. Vocally, however, there are differences. Joakim Brodén’s voice is unique. But Nicoletta Rosellini’s voice is also unique. And it suits this song perfectly. I wouldn’t know which version I would prefer.

The differences between Kalidia and Alterium aren’t really so big. Thanks to the two guitars, the sound is naturally more powerful. The songwriting also seems more varied. Nicoletta Rosellini’s vocal performance is as outstanding as ever. Could “Of War And Flames” be described as a worthy successor to “The Frozen Throne”? From the singer’s point of view, definitely.

Lineup:

Nicoletta Rosellini – Vocals
Paolo Campitelli – Guitars
Alessandro Mammola – Guitars
Luca Scalabrin – Bass
Dario Gozzi – Drums

Track list:

• Drag Me To Hell
• Siren’s Call
• Of War And Flames
• Firebringer
• Crossroads Inn
• Shadowsong
• Crystalline
• Heroine Of The Sea
• Chasing The Sun
• Bismarck