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SKYEYE
New Horizons

Reaper Entertainment (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

What an adrenaline shot to the system this is, the third full-length outing from Slovenian quintet SkyEye. I haven’t heard the previous two albums from the band, but this is a scorcher that mixes German power metal and traditional steel. All manner influences storm in, ranging from Gamma Ray to Dio, Helloween to Iron Maiden.

When opener ‘The Descenders’ kicks in it’s game over and you wonder if the band can maintain such levels of potency, but don’t you worry, New Horizons although very polished, literally breathes fire. There is a sense of the grandiose as the album unravels, especially with the defiant ‘Fight!’ where vocalist Jan Leščanec conjures the spirit of Ronnie James Dio. It’s driving heavy metal that sizzles with anthemic electricity.

‘Far Beyond’ boasts wafts of Iron Maiden and showcases the power of the vocals once again, as does ‘Railroad Of Dreams’, but it’s not all striding balls to the wall metal. ‘Saraswati’ is arguably the albums darkest moment, a brooding mid-tempo rocker with doom laden riffs from Mare Kavčnik and Urban Železnik and sneering, menacing vocals.

At times I hear the gargantuan tones of Heaven & Hell, other moments brisk gallops of Helloween, but it’s all wrapped up in impenetrable chainmail and emphatically flattens forest and fen with its colossal strides of steel. Every department exhibits a richness and warmth; bass lines run like golden rivers and the percussion lopes like proud stallions mounted by glinting knights.

Forget those long Iron Maiden snooze fests and jump into closing track ‘1917’ for some seriously epic metal. But then again every track delivered just brims with confidence as huge melodies erupt from the icy regions of ‘The Voice From The Silver Mountain’, while ‘Nightfall’ is pure power metal glory with its ascending axe work and the title tune borders on thrash. A glorious heavy metal opus, New Horizons just knows how to rock hard and those scorch marks will be visible for miles.

Neil Arnold

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