Noveria have built on their first album and consolidated their position as one of, if not the, finest new Metal bands in Italy.

Noveria was formed in 2014 when brilliant guitarist Francesco Mattei returned to Italy after spending four years in Finland. Combining influences from Symphonic, Industrial and (not vocally) Death Metal, this is melodic, technical and Progressive all at the same time. There's powerful vocals from Francesco Corigliano, great piano/synth work from Julien Spreutels (ex-Epysode/Ethernity) and replacing the rather busy Emanuele Casali (DGM/Astra), with bass and drums handled by Andrea Arcangeli (DGM/Hevidence/Solisia) and Omar Campitelli respectively.

I was very complimentary about their debut album and producer Simone Mularoni (DGM's guitarist/producer) has done another excellent job with Noveria's sophomore effort. Obviously the DGM connection is quite strong and Noveria's ambition to follow in the footsteps of Symphony X is quite evident after DGM's previous tie-up with Russell Allen.

'Forsaken' is a concept album based on the theory of five stages of death by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and written in memory of a brilliant young woman who was taken away from her family by an aggressive cancer. Each track describes the different states of mind of a person facing a fatal illness – denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance – and all the song's nuances, structures and musicality attempt to convey all of these human emotions whilst the lyrics were written by Johanna Andersson who's sung with Dark Tranquillity and Dragonland.

'Shock' is the first song and it's fast and melodic with Neo-Classical guitar and it's followed by 'Denial', which is heavier with a darker edge and powerful vocals from Corigliano. 'When Everything Falls' is a dramatic and gorgeous semi-ballad featuring a duet with Kate Nord. 'Hatred' is fast and powerful with more Neo-Classical guitars duelling with Spreutels' keys whilst 'If Only' features incredibly fast double bass drumming from Campitelli.

'[W]hole' is the video single and is a Progressive masterpiece with plenty of melodic passages and the Progressive nature continues on the dark and heavy 'Regrets' with another inter-changing duel between Mattei and Spreutels. The first audio single 'Utopia' has a soaring melody with great drum patterns again from Campitelli and the power ballad 'Acceptance' is a fantastically epic emotional ride of musicality, that leaves 'Archangel' to close out the album with yet more fabulous playing and singing. It's another superb slice of Neo-Classical guitar playing, Progressive rhythms and Power Metal singing.

Noveria have built on their first album and consolidated their position as one of, if not the, finest new Metal bands in Italy.

Carl Buxton