Band:	Entropia (FRA)
Album:	Obscure Rising
Style:	Melodic black metal, Power metal
Release date:	February 01, 2010
A review by:	Darkside Momo

01. Sweet Little Sin
02. Phantom Pain
03. Astral Cathedral
04. Land Of Ashes
05. Sister Of Obscurity
06. Slave

Whoa, another Epica meets Nightwish band.

Seriously?
OK, I have to admit, this is a pretty bad way to start a review. Even if it's true, it's a limited statement, as there's thankfully more more to say on this Obscure Rising EP?

You've guessed, Entropia are a symphonic metal band with a female singer. As stated before, Epica and Nightwish are the two main influences, but one can catch glimpses of things a bit different: a little whiff of craziness not unlike Unexpect, and maybe some Dismal Euphony on the most extreme parts.
The musicians are already quite good, but the one who shines all throughout this EP is singer Marie Rouyer. She does all the vocals, from the clean, clear singing (quite superb), to the operatic stuff (which do sound a bit forced, contrary to the rest), to the death grunts? So yes, she's quite impressive as she's very varied. In a way, she does remind me of Tarja on Angels Fall First, as she reaches her limits quite often, but I'm sure it's nothing some more practice won't overcome.

The songwriting is not bad in itself, but it still bears too strongly the marks of the style's masters. There are already hints at some originality however, in some keyboards parts, or with the quite heavier tone of this release.
However, it's quite high to really appreciate this perks, because of the production. Symphonic metal must have a clear, powerful and well produced sound to be effective and interesting, right? And that's sadly not the case. While not muddy in any way, it's a bit blurry, particularly the guitars, which have almost no edge at all. And the keys quite often sound totally over-the-top, a bit too pompous compared to the rest...

So, despite its inherent flaws, this EP made me feel that Entropia are quite promising, in no small part due to Marie's raw talent. Both the songwriting and production problems can be solved, and they will have to, if the band wants to be recognized worldwide?