Review: Noveria – Aequilibrium

Style: power metal, progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: late Symphony X, Arch Enemy, Darkwater, Manticora
Review by: Matt
Country: Italy
Release date: 25 October, 2019

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the October 2019 edition of The Progressive Subway.]

Noveria are an Italian band proficient in every skill except coming up with song titles. Blind? Broken? Come on, man… Anyway, Aequilibrium is a much better album than it superficially appears, with virtuosity and an ear for big hooks that will force you to remember it.

Waves opens with a killer riff salad before getting down to business. The rhythm guitars alternate between sounding like Arch Enemy, later Symphony X, and a bit of metalcore throughout the album, and they know how to write a great heavy riff with logical transitions. Speaking of Symphony X, Francesco Corigliano is often a dead ringer for the voice of Russell Allen – one of the higher compliments I can think of – and he’s more interested in singing notes than Russell is these days, to boot. He’s tasked with doling out colossal earworm choruses, which are everything they need to be. It’s almost too much – so transparently written for catchiness, like a Killswitch Engage song, but it helps that the surrounding music has some decent depth to it. This isn’t purely a chorus band, though that is the most notable feature.

Very little here falls flat – Noveria avoid the typical mid-album slump through sheer energy. Losing You might be a bit cloying and fillerish, and the last track depends on your tolerance for power ballads. The occasional bro chug parts narrowly avoid being dumb due to their clever placement in the songs. I guess the main complaint I could level at Aequilibrium is that it’s nothing new, “only” a collection of catchy songs, but hey. It’s done really, really well, and has sweet keyboard solos. I heartily endorse this product and/or service.

Recommended tracks: Waves, A Long Journey
You may also like: Novareign, Immortal Guardian, Lanfear
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Scarlet Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Noveria is:
– Francesco Corigliano (vocals)
– Francesco Mattei (guitars)
– Julien Spreutels (keyboards)
– Andrea Arcangeli (bass)
– Omar Campitelli (drums)