SECRET SPHERE
“Blackened Heartbeat”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9.5/10

Secret Sphere are a power metal band from Italy formed in 1997 by guitarist Aldo Lonobile. During a fairly prolific career spanning twenty five years, the band has released eleven studio albums – the eleventh (and most recent) ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ emerging in 2023…

…featuring the same line-up as the bands previous album ‘Lifeblood‘ (2021) – an elegant and melodic gallop of high energy power metal. So my expectations for ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ are high – very high. Eleven new songs across a forty seven minute run time begins with the two minute instrumental opener ‘The Crossing Toll’ – an anticipation fuelled stroll that builds tension until ‘J.’s Serenade’ crashes in with the weight of a thousand wrecking balls all striking at once! The pace of ‘J.’s Serenade’ is incredible, the band at full tilt as ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ charges gallantly out of the gate, pushing listeners outta the way with menace and force!

A red hot scorching opening salvo from the Italian power metallers, the album storms on with ‘Aura’ making it a scorching opening double salvo – Secret Sphere driving forth with enthusiasm, passion and panache. High energy, high tempo and a mighty melodious intent are just some of the bands trademarks, all three featuring highly as ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ marches on with ‘Bloody Wednesday’, a more majestic feel rising high into the air. And with shoulders back and head held high, ‘Bloody Wednesday’ proclaims “listen to me” – and listen you will, for the band have excelled in capturing listeners attentions with a tremendous opening treble! A treble that becomes a quadruple with ‘Captive’, taking a more scenic route through the melodic power metal genre, displaying a mid tempo swagger that’ll make it attractive to fans of the heavy, and hard rock genres. The band are on fire – setting light to the airways with a crushing cacophony of exquisite power metal.

Power metal that’s both elegant and majestic, regardless of pace, power or speed, ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ thundering on with the bullish ‘Dr. Julius’ – and a mighty opening jack hammer style riff to waken the dead! ‘Dr. Julius’ is a ground shuddering foot stomper that’s gonna rock buildings to their foundations to leave only a desolate array of ruins in its wake! The intensity of the album since it began had been incredible, grabbing listeners attention from the off and never letting go – the pace of the album increasing to maximum courtesy of ‘Confession’. Slowing to a more cruising speed as it progresses, the energy level rising off the fucking charts, Secret Sphere having access to an endless supply! Which is great for us listeners, fans and followers, ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ a breathless rampage of all out metal to keep heads frantically rocking back and forth. And maintaining the rampage with increased urgency, ‘One Day I Will’ is a fast paced hustler and bustler, perfectly blending traditional heavy metal with the bands root power metal sound – the Italian five piece delivering a very infectious and engaging album.

And for the first time since it began, ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ hits the brakes – sharply! ‘Anna’ strolls in from the viewpoint of balladry, providing the customary ballad that seems to appear on almost every modern day power metal album. Now normally I don’t agree with ballads on metal albums, but some bands – Secret Sphere included – simply make them work. These bands can slot ballads in among an all out metal rampage and never lose any of the albums intensity and flow – and that’s exactly the case here with ‘Anna’. Kudos Secret Sphere, kudos! And almost immediately, the band plant their feet on the pedal, pushing it firmly to the metal, accelerating quickly to top speed for the rampant ‘Psycho Kid’. Banging heads more vigorously than at any other time on the album, ‘Psycho Kid’ is a phenomenal slice of speedy power metal, right up there with the greats of the genre, greats such as HammerFall, Helloween, Primal Fear and pioneers Accept. And bringing the album to a close, the title song ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ is a bustling barrage of heavy hitting metal. Hitting harder than any other song on offer, ‘Blackened Heartbeat’ (the song) is a big, bold, barnstorming final hurrah.

Overall, a fast paced gallop of infectious melodic power metal, featuring a sky high energy level with tonnes of head bang ability.

TRACKLIST

The Crossing Toll
J.’s Serenade
Aura
Bloody Wednesday
Captive
Dr. Julius B
Confession
One Day I Will
Anna
Psycho Kid
Blackened Heartbeat

https://www.secretsphere.it/
https://www.facebook.com/secretsphere

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

---