The Snow White Rose of Paradise

This is the first full-length for the amazing band from Chicago, IL. This is one of the best bands that I've heard in a long time. The Snow White Rose of Paradise is but six songs, but still makes up for a shortened tracklist with lengthy, but not boring, songs.

The album starts out with "Love Poison". This song is... truly amazing. A perfect mix of ungodly heavy metal and beautiful clean vocals. The musicianship is outstanding, and the overall quality is unusually good.

The next song in the album is an awesome instrumental titled, "Reality Principle". This song is outstanding. Although it can seem like it's being dragged out at some points, this is a beautiful song. A great thrasher, and a great musical masterpiece.

The third song in the album is a nearly 10 minute song, entitiled "Into the Depths". The vocals are amazing, and the guitar is mesmerizing. More nearly operatic clean vocals that are extremely interesting, but not overbearing.

The fourth song is the shortest on the album, at a mere 4:41, titled "Peak of the Fall". The songwriting is excellent, as in the rest of the album, and the guitar is layered pristinely. The opening 12 seconds or so give an interesting acoustic and clean vocal sound, before the roaring guitars and chilling vocals kick in. The vocal performance is unearthly, although the clean vocals can sometimes be overbearing. The guitar is heavy as hell, but still contains a progressive edge to it. A pure classic.

The next song is the counterpart of the second, titled "Pleasure Principle". This, like it's brother, is an instrumental. Amazing to listen to, and the musicianship is perfect.

The final track, Empyrean Sky, is the masterpiece of the album. Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, this song does not feel like it has been playing that long. It is perfect in musicianship, the vocals are beyond amazing, the songwriting is exremely poetic, and the sound is heavier than being hit with a brick in the face, yet mellow at the same time. There is some amount of piano reminiscent of older Dimmu, and there is a perfect balance of clean and screaming vocals. A chillingly beautiful classic.

I have no complaints, with the exception that it could have been longer.