Alterium - Of War and Flames (2024)

Alterium is a new band from Italy, formed from the ashes of the recently disbanded Kalidia, hence we will be talking about their debut. Their music is Melodic Power Metal, with discreet use of orchestrations and backing vocals. Regarding similarities, that would be something between Seven Kingdoms, the less Symphonic part of Dark Moor, Amberian Dawn and of course, Kalidia.

Time to discuss some of Alterium’s virtues. For starters, they know how to write good songs with interesting parts, that will catch and maintain your attention. Their vibe is very positive and uplifting so if you are also in that mood you will have a great time. On the vocal part, Nicoletta is staying down to earth avoiding over the top performances, which complements the final result. Finally, the performance of her bandmates is rellying solely on their skill, instead of using layers upon layers of samples. They of course exist, but are used exceptionally and only when needed in order to enhance the songs instead of covering them.

On specific tracks, Heroine of the Sea ended up as my favorite thanks to its epic atmosphere. Siren’s call is a captivating moment with a beautiful chorus. Crystalline is the ballad of the album, with its piano part during the bridge stealing the show. Shadowsong is one of the heaviest moments, while Crossroads Inn is a great medieval-folk tune. The album has a great flow thanks to its variety between fast, heavy and more melodic moments and maintains its quality during the whole tracklist.

The true epilogue, arrives with a cover of Sabaton’s Bismarck. Musically it is not different from the original, so any differentiation derives from the different vocalist. I personally was not moved as both versions belong in similar genres and are identical, so Alterium’s one doesn’t add anything groundbreaking to the mix. It does not substract from the final experience, as it is placed in the end and you can see it as a bonus treat, so no harm done.

Talking about debuts on established genres is very difficult, as the bands try to find their footing and see what works/what doesn’t. In that regard I believe Alterium’s first experiment is a success. They don’t reinvent the wheel. But for its purpose, I definitely enjoyed Of War and Flames and even after enough repetitions, I don’t see myself skipping any song other than the cover. I initially checked Alterium out of curiosity, now they got my full attention.