Timeless Departure

When a band combines both the more melodic side of Metal, as well as the more extreme side, it's no coincidence that they begin to climb my list of favorite bands real fast, as I’m a big fan of both sides of the Metal spectrum. So enter Skyfire; Skyfire is another one of those bands combining the melody and song arrangements of Power Metal with Black Metal vocals, symphonic keyboards, and Black Metal styled drumming. Children Of Bodom arguably started this genre of sorts, thus any bands of this type will undoubtedly be compared to them, and to compare Skyfire is fair. The vocals of Henrik Wenngren are very similar to Alexi Laiho and the usage of melody is largely done in the same manner, however, there are differences. Only very few hints of neo-classical song elements show up in Skyfire (a big portion of Children Of Bodom’s music is neo-classical influenced), instead, a more aggressive take on the song writing is used with more blast beats, more thrashy riffs, and a lot of galloping double bass. The keyboards provide an amazing amount of melody, which is further accentuated by melodic guitar parts that are played on top of the riffs almost full time; this is best demonstrated on "The Universe Unveils". Within one listen I was humming along to every song, especially the opener, "Fragments Of Time". This is not one big hum-along-fest though, the music is still very heavy and aggressive that will have you head banging along non-stop as well. The songs are usually very fast with only very short lived slower moments, "Breed Through Me, Bleed Through Me" is the only song that can be considered 'slower' than the rest.

One could also notice a resemblance in keyboard style to that of Bal-Sagoth, and in some cases even Rhapsody. The keys are very symphonic and include a mix of strings, piano, and the same triumphant melodies that make Bal-Sagoth and Rhapsody so popular with their fan base. Everybody in the band is very talented but no one over does it, and I'm sure they are holding back in favor of writing songs that are tighter (a wise choice). There are a lot of breaks and riff/drum pattern changes that are done in a very similar style to Children Of Bodom. The lyrics are mostly concerned with battle, death, and victory, but are not done in a sappy or corny way. To say that these lyrics for the songs take place in a Viking setting would be fair to state, which further could be made apparent by the occasional folk-ish keyboards; you could even make small comparisons to Viking Metal bands like Thyrfing and Ancient Rites in that regard.

There are only three low points to be found on Timeless Departure. Firstly, the vocals are a tad one-dimensional. They are generally the same scream with only slight changes in the tone. Minor usage of clean vocals or a deeper growl at times would add a lot. Secondly, the production is well done but could be improved; the rhythm guitar is too low in the mix at times, with the keyboards and melodic guitar parts being too upfront. Thirdly, there are about a few instances where you might think to yourself: "Didn't I just hear this in that song already?” When it comes down to it, what makes this band so good is that they play with a lot of energy and still remain both aggressive and extremely melodic at the same time. There are some songs on here that are just masterpieces despite the shortcomings, which just goes to show the song writing ability these guys have. Look for Skyfire to make a serious run at unseating Children Of Bodom at the top of their extreme melodic Metal throne!

Song Highlights: Fragments Of Time, The Universe Unveils, From Here To Death, Breed Through Me Bleed Through Me, Skyfire, and Timeless Departure