Style: Progressive metal, power prog (mixed vocals, mostly clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Nevermore
Country: Italy
Release date: 21 August 2026

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“Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon”.

Colin Baker’s delirious Sixth Doctor¹ proclaimed these words to an aghast companion, having only moments before been lying on the floor of his Tardis, gradually slipping away into the womb of death. As the show demands, the Doctor is inevitably ‘reborn’ in the sense that a new face assumes the role and, ultimately, must find their footing. Baker’s incarnation—no thanks to behind the scenes showrunning conflicts—introduced himself bizarrely² and remained narratively scattered until audio dramas cleaned up his character arc. Four decades on, the Sixth Doctor has reemerged beloved and appreciated despite the dark beginnings. The work that followed his on-screen run allowed the character to find purpose; a tale of perseverance that Noveria might eventually be compared to.

Italy’s progressive metallers similarly transformed this past April with a 60% lineup shuffle seeing Francesco Marino (vocals; Dreamscape), Paolo Campitelli (keyboards; Alterium), and Paolo Conte (drums, ex-Aporia) permanently joining Noveria’s core of Francesco Mattei (guitars) and Andrea Arcangeli (bass). To say the outfit resembles an entirely new band wouldn’t be a stretch, even if the creative compass of Mattei remains. The technical prowess showcased over 13 years of existence, and fully realized on releases The Gates of the Underworld (2023) and Aequilibrium (2019), remain intact on Becoming After. However, the vision shows wear of a turbulent regeneration: scattered cinematic elements, safe songwriting, and catchy ideas that fall short of satisfying resolutions.

If there’s one takeaway to lead with, Noveria can play. Mattei and Campitelli’s guitars and keyboards, respectively, take charge and guide both the melody and rhythm, adding machinegun breakdowns and lush string layers as needed. Fans of Symphony X and Dream Theater will find particular joy in their synchronized soloing and penchant to dip into extended minor pentatonics to bring a grandiose shred back home (“Convicted to Rise”). In support, Conte’s work on the kit fits the expected role to a T: offbeat syncopation, timely fills, and rhythmic modulation to spice up the bog-standard riffing. Don’t interpret this as an underselling of his performance, though. Whether the track is “Radiance” or “Heavenfall”, Conte controls the groove with a conversational, quirky approach and romps on the double kick drum when Noveria veers into a power metal direction. Marino equally steps into the lead vocalist role with confidence, impressively switching from head voice to harsh mid fries when needed (“Cold Flames”).

While Noveria’s technical acumen occasionally dazzles throughout Becoming After, when juxtaposed with the prior release The Gates of the Underworld, there is a noticeable drop off in inspiration. Whereas the opener (“Origins”) once brought aggressive legato riffs and sprawling shredding, the tone setter now (“The Only Way”) settles on a chug chug bada-bada Parasomnia pastiche and a chorus that gets lost in the woods and fizzles out with Marino climbing the scale and belting a note. Ballad to ballad, “Anima” from The Gates organically built momentum via sentimental vocal melodies, with verses progressing in intensity with each opportunity and a thumping rhythm section that gets the head bobbing. Becoming After’s “Through Your Light” measures up with an earworm hook and a tasteful, harmonized guitar solo, but compositionally hits a standard verse-chorus beat. Barring a shoehorned string overture at the start, it offers less variance than expected and little low end to richen a flat mix.

On the note of cinematic elements, there are several additions which come across as disjointed from the sonic atmosphere. “The Only Way” commences with an arabesque vocal and percussion passage which is never stylistically drawn upon again. Following what could have been a solid closer in “Radiance”, “Becoming After” instead extends the album through a folksy string number taken straight from Poldark. Ideally, this could satisfyingly tie up recurring leitmotif themes or various string compositions ham-fisted into the odd track. The title track instead, disappointingly, adds an empty two minutes past the natural end of the album, choosing not to explicitly reference any prior ideas. For an album seemingly inspired by identity, there are no connective tissues in the melodies or orchestral elements. And in the last moment with an opportunity to craft an epilogue, “Becoming After” stays true to the album’s status quo of standalone ideas stacked together.

Noveria lays bare a collection of solid progressive metal on Becoming After, even if the end result doesn’t dazzle. That itself is commendable considering the massive lineup overhaul and quick turnaround to put out the record. The band’s capabilities as musicians are far from in question, but this incarnation’s first output could have used extra refining in production. Future releases are bound to soar to new heights; Becoming After may need to wait some years to be fully appreciated.

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Recommended Tracks: “Convicted to Rise”, “Cold Flames”, “Radiance”
You may also like: DarkTribe, Dimhav, Stormhammer
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Scarlet Records

Noveria is:
– Francesco Marino (vocals)
– Francesco Mattei (guitars)
– Paolo Campitelli (keyboards)
– Andrea Arcangeli (bass)
– Paolo Conte (drums)

With guests:
– Mike Moran (piano on “Through Your Light”)
– Mistheria (keyboards on “Cold Flames”)
– Abigail Stahlsschmidt (violin)
– Luca Basile (cello)

1. For those uninitiated to Doctor Who, please enjoy this satirical trailer for the entirety of the classic run. ↩︎
2. “Bizarrely” is an understatement. Within minutes the Doctor jumps from whimsy, to strangling his companion, to receding into an existential crisis. ↩︎