Xeneris
Biographie Xeneris
Xeneris
In 2022, the Symphonic Power Metalers Kalidia disbanded. From its ashes rose two bands, with the first being Alterium absorbing the vocalist and drummer, who released their first album this March. The other half, namely Federico Paolini and Roberto Donati on guitars and bass respectively, formed Xeneris and now present us their debut. In the end everyone wins, all band members are happy and fans are left up with two good bands instead of one! The question that remains to be answered is how good Eternal Rising is.
The direct reply is that we come face to face with strong potential and some very good attributes, but overall it is an album that I would be surprised if it will cause more than a few ripples. There were some early signs from the two singles the band used to introduce themselves to the world, as they lacked the spice or surprise factor that would make you anticipate the remaining music. If I want to be fair, the rest of the record is better and where the most interesting ideas are placed.
There are some things that Xeneris do very well. One of them is creating beautiful melodies both instrumentally and on vocal lines that will get stuck in your head. At the time of writing I am trying to get the theme of Burning Within out of my head, let’s see when I will make it. Direction is heavy enough, at least within the limits of the genre, with alteration between fast moments, occasional sharp riffs and solid rhythm parts. Overall the music steals the spotlight and ends up as the MVP of Eternal Rising.
Those strengths do not walk a lonely road, as they are accompanied by one or two obstacles. The first is that the vocals stay within the range of acceptable. By acceptable I do not mean bad, not by a longshot. But let’s be real, a band needs a very strong voice if they aim to achieve great accomplishments. Especially when the recent years have blessed us with some unreal talent of female vocals, the bar is very high at the moment. The other thing is the album did not give me something to catch me off -balance, I am talking about a song that I will play on repeat, or I will go crazy about if I hear it get introduced during a live show.
I do not want to be harsh with the band, they transitioned from one group to a new one and in the process they lost a very capable and skilled singer, so this first effort numbness is almost guaranteed. I do not regret my time with Eternal Rising, so I believe you should check it out and judge for yourselves. It is an entertaining record and that’s why we listen to music, are we not? Still, creating an entertaining record is one thing, becoming a distinguished figure at a saturated scene is another. From my point of view, Xeneris removed their debut from the oven a bit too early,
