Fellowship – The Skies Above Eternity

Fellowship
The Skies Above Eternity
Label: Scarlet Records
Out: November 22^nd, 2024
Playing time: 42:19

Power metal for eternity

Labels never tire of inventing new slogans for album releases. This was also the case for the second album by British Symphonic Metal band Fellowship. And it goes even further: ‘Fellowship was the absolute Power Metal revelation of 2022’. You can’t get much thicker than that. But let’s be factual. The band from the harbour town of Harwich (county of Essex) was founded in 2019. The self-titled EP was released one year later. After two singles, the debut album ‘The Saberlight Chronicles’ was released in 2022. After another EP (‘The Winterlight Chronicles’, 2023), fans can now look forward to the second album ‘The Skies Above Eternity’.

What does ‘Hold Up Your Hearts (Again)’ remind me of? Oh yes, the song could also come from the Rhapsody (of Fire) universe. But Gloryhammer could also be a reference. Fast melodies, driven by drummer Callum Tuffen. Partly frantic but always fast guitar hooks. This continues with ‘Victim’. Fortunately, there is musical variety. The vocals are a little quieter, underpinned by keyboard tapestries. But the Brits can also do anthems, as they show with ‘The Bitter Winds’. But without compromising on the high tempo. Beautiful melodies are celebrated again and again. Even ‘Dawnbreaker’ is very anthemic. ‘Eternity’ has a calm, slightly folky introduction. The tempo is also slowed down later on, which is pleasant to hear. But the musicians can’t let it go completely and step on the musical accelerator again from time to time. ‘King Of Nothing’ is the next Symphonic Power Metal anthem. After a brief, somewhat calm introduction, the tempo is also stepped up again on ‘World End Slowly’. The refrain later on is very catchy. ‘A New Hope’ is another partly majestic anthem. The instrumental outro ‘Memories On The Wind’ surprises with its ballad style. Orchestral synths can be heard throughout the entire track. I wonder why Fellowship didn’t make a real ballad out of this.

I think I did the band an injustice in my comparison with the Rhapsody bands. The compositions and arrangements are much more varied. The final instrumental in particular clearly shows that the Brits are capable of much more. I would like to see more of this on the next album. In terms of sound, the album is convincing. Producer Rich Campbell and sound mixer Alexander Backlund have done a great job here.

Fellowship – Dawnbreaker: https://youtu.be/HddC-4IA5rs?si=vuPRn14pa27P34Ya

Lineup:

Matthew Corry – Vocals
Brad Wosko – Guitar
Sam Browne – Guitar (studio-only)
Ed Munson – Bass
Callum Tuffen – Drums

Track list:

• Hold Up Your Hearts (Again)
• Victim
• The Bitter Winds
• Dawnbreaker
• Eternity
• King Of Nothing
• World End Slowly
• A New Hope
• Memories On The Wind