Band:	Damnation Angels
Album:	The Valiant Fire
Style:	Symphonic metal
Release date:	March 27, 2015
A review by:	Ag Fox

01. Finding Requiem
02. Icarus Syndrome
03. This Is Who We Are
04. The Frontiersman
05. Closure
06. The Passing
07. Everlasting
08. The Fire Inside
09. Under An Ancient Sun

Damnation Angels defies stereotypes.

Admittedly, I am not familiar with this British symphonic metal band, but they just stick out by bucking the trend in a few significant ways, such as not having a female vocalist, as so commonly associated with bands who are lumped into the same sub-genre. Secondly, their latest output, The Valiant Fire, is funded via a crowd sourcing campaign rather than taking the traditional means of relying on a label to dole out the budget, which means they must have done something right previously to have their own legion of loyal fans to show this amount of support.

More importantly though, is their music, which is also an anomaly. Some readers may already think "I probably know how this will sound" upon seeing the symphonic metal tag being used in the above paragraph (I know your thoughts because I'm psychic like that), but this time, and actually, in what seems like an eternity, we finally have a musical proposition that's genuinely different compared with the rest of the symphonic metal crowd. As opposed to one-upping the others by being sexier, bringing in a bigger orchestra and dialling up the production, Damnation Angels follow their own path that's more along the lines of Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore, and the metal elements can get lost in the rest of the music. For die-hard metal fans, it's not like the metal is gone, but it's less of a focal point of the music, and there's just a bit more going on with the music to notice all the metal parts. Forget about symphonic metal, and try to imagine it as a metallic symphony. Essentially, if you're a fan of film soundtracks, this album might be right up your alley.

Being original is excellent. The performance here is good too, but there's still something that doesn't sit well with me. What struck me right away was how the vocals are presented on the album as it's too in-your-face. There's nothing wrong with PelleK's voice, and he's definitely a talent that will be missed in the upcoming Damnation Angels releases, but having his vocals too front and centre is distracting. Finally, the compositions have room for improvement both in terms of climaxes and memorability. I've never watched the films The Last Samurai or Gladiator, but I can identify them right away without looking at the TV screen because I can recognise the music right away. Of course, a better climax would make it more memorable, but I had to highlight it anyway since Damnation Angels have the advantage of being a METAL band, and I feel they have not fully harnessed this strength of theirs.

While not perfect and the unrealised potential is evident, The Valiant Fire is a welcome addition to any curious melodic metal fans looking to expand their musical palette.