Asylum Pyre released their debut album ‘Natural Instinct’ in 2009. I seem to have missed this album completely. Now they’re back with their second opus. Since their previous album there have been line-up changes, the drummer has been replaced, but also the female front vocalist has changed.
Since I had not heard songs with their previous singer, I search the internet and found some tracks, both studio and live with their old singer. And my personal meaning is that by changing the singer, there has not only been a visual improvement, but also for the vocals itself this has been a good decision.
The music this band produces can best be described as melodic metal, but with some gothic and even progressive influences. The band hails from France, and what makes them stand about from your typical melodic – gothic metal band is that, although Heidi Chaos is a classical trained singer, most of the time she sings in a normal way, and only sporadically the operatic side comes through. What she probably has to thank to her classical training, is her remarkable range and the power her voice has.
I do have to warn you however. The first time I listened to this album, I wasn’t gob smacked by it. Yes, the vocals were great, but the songs I found somewhat mediocre. And, don’t ask me why, but despite being a completely different music style, I thought of Heart, before they became commercial. But after a few spins, this album started to grow on me, and with each spin I found it getting better and better.
What’s also nice, are the songs where Heidi’s vocals are alternated with male vocals, like in ‘Fisherman’s day’. And to top it off the artwork is beautiful.