Band: Re-Armed
Album: Ignis Aeternum
Label: Black Lion Records
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
If you're a fan of symphonic death metal, but aren't yet familiar with Re-Armed, rectify that as quickly as possible. Formed in 2001, Re-Armed has a library of previous material under the belts and countless live shows. Ignis Aeternum is only the latest onslaught from these Finnish melodic death metallers.
Right from the start with "Dive Within," we know what sort of record this will be. It begins with some cool riffage that says, "this is going to be a fast paced record filled with energy." The sound is of epic proportions, and makes you feel like you want to go fight a war. The lead vocals from Jouni Matilainen are perfectly mixed, with Juhana Heinonen and Oskari Niekka providing backing vocals. Throughout the record we are treated to some awesome lead guitars, and the symphonic passages are tastefully placed and orchestrated.
The main highlight in my opinion is actually the first single they released, "Beyond The Horizon." It has an absolutely positive message, and a catchy as hell chorus to top it off. The arrangement of the orchestration and rest of the band flows perfectly together and everything has a seamless quality. This is also the perfect track to hear those backing vocals shine through in brilliant manner, supporting Matilainen's leads. Check out the video below.
I'm giving Ignis Aeternum a 7.5/10