Lutharo – Chasing Euphoria

Lutharo
Chasing Euphoria
Label: Atomic Fire Records
Out: March 15^th, 2024
Playing time: 49:25

Founded in 2014, the musicians of Lutharo have set themselves the goal of creating an epic sound from a mixture of Power and Death Metal. The heart of the band is formed by founding members Krista Shipperbottom (vocals) and Victor Bucur (guitar). Apart from that, the band has had to cope with several line-up changes. After two (or three, at least if you can trust the Encyclopaedia Metallum) EPs and countless singles, the debut album “Hiraeth” was only released in 2021. In March of this year, Lutharo followed up with “Chasing Euphoria”.

“Gates Of Enchantment” is more like an intro than a full song. Despite the thunderous noises at the beginning, there is also something musical to report, a bombastic orchestration. In this respect, “Reaper’s Call” is of a completely different quality. Krista Shipperbottom screams her heart out almost from the beginning. But she also offers clear vocals. In addition, whipping guitar riffs and drum beats. “Ruthless Bloodline” continues exactly where the previous song left off. Once again, the drums fire up the musicians. And the riffs sound like machine-gun fire. And why should anything change in “Time To Rise”? But something happens, great guitar hooks can be heard, and soon things calm down a little. Krista sings very melodically. And the growls sound a little less aggressive. The trend towards more melody also continues with “Born To Ride”, although at a higher speed than just before. “Bonded To The Blade” then moves in the direction of Melodic Power Metal, if, yes, if it weren’t for Krista’s evil growls, the song could be described as a Power Metal anthem. But in my opinion, it’s one of the best songs of the album. The title track “Chasing Euphoria” is also one of them, mainly thanks to the beautiful melodic arcs and the Power Metal riffs. “Creating A King” offers a strong intro with rhythmic drums before thrashy and melodic parts alternate. I also really like “Strong Enough To Fall”. Krista once again shows her vocal diversity, often accompanied by beautiful melodies. “Paradise Or Parasite” offers a lot of Power Metal vibes. The closing track “Freedom Of The Night” is also the longest song on the album, with a playing time of almost seven minutes. After a calm intro in which bass and guitar interact with each other, things get heavy again. And, as before, beautiful melodies (instrumental and vocal) provide a lot of listening pleasure. But it goes without saying that thrash and growls are not neglected here either.

“Chasing Euphoria” offers a rollercoaster of emotions. Again and again, Melodic Power Metal parts alternate with Thrash, Growls and yes, sometimes Death Metal elements. It is impressive how Krista Shipperbottom switches effortlessly between clear vocals and abysmally evil growls. The instrumentation of her bandmates also matches this. A great album that offers a lot of musical variety.

Track list:

• Gates Of Enchantment
• Reaper’s Call
• Ruthless Bloodline
• Time To Rise
• Born To Ride
• Bonded To The Blade
• Chasing Euphoria
• Creating A King
• Strong Enough To Fall 
• Paradise Or Parasite
• Freedom Of The Night