I hadn’t heard of Xtasy until about a month ago. As many tend to do late at night, I fell down the rabbit hole that is the YouTube recommended videos section. It was there I came across the video for “Play with Fire”. After listening to this song multiple times, and having it stuck in my head for days, I had to look more into Xtasy. It turns out Eye of the Storm is their third album. Where have I been? It also features the songwriting and production talents of Eclipse mastermind, Erik Mårtensson. Subsequently, this album sounds very similar to Eclipse.
Eye of the Storm opens with the hard hitting “Die Young”. It’s heavy, melodic, and filled with European power metal undertones in the chorus and guitar solo. The same can be said for “The War” and “Flesh & Blood”. For other songs, Xtasy utilizes Eclipse’s signature “heavy AOR” sound. The AOR I’m speaking of is not a throwback to the 80s, but rather a modern approach. Songs like “Play with Fire”, “Perfect Strangers”, and “Nowhere to Run” sound like they could be hit singles from Amaranthe. It may turn off some, but I have to give Xtasy credit. They prove that a modern rock/metal album can be good if done properly.
Unfortunately, despite how much as Eye of the Storm has to offer, there are some disappointments. The vocals are too low in the mix. It’s a shame because singer Silva Idoate has a voice that’s as powerful as it is beautiful. At times, she reminds me of a young Pat Benatar. To hear her fall casualty to the loudness war is a tragedy.
Furthermore, there are a handful of songs that just don’t work. I felt the same way about Eclipse’s last album, Paradigm (2019). The half of that album I loved, I LOVED. The other half? It was okay at best. I just feel Eclipse dropped the ball in the songwriting department. It’s in that same spirit that mid tempo pseudo ballads like “Welcome to My World”, “Crashing Down”, and “Silent Heroes” fall short.
Most bands feel a need to “stay fresh” by exploring different sounds. This ideology has bred a masterpieces like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage. It has also spawned atrocities like Cold Lake (What the ough?). If Xtasy finds a middle ground between their Euro metal roots and melodic rock tendencies, who knows what the future has in store for them?
6 out of 10
Label: Metalapolis Records
Genre: Melodic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Eclipse, Amaranthe, Within Temptation