Band:	Blind Stare
Album:	Symphony Of Delusions
Style:	Melodic death metal, Extreme power metal
Release date:	May 13, 2005
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Central Theory
02. My Black Letter
03. Ender
04. An Insane's Diary pt. II
05. The Silent Song
06. All For The Unspoken
07. Shotgun Symphony
08. Words Of Truth
09. Thornhearts
10. Statues And The Worldends

Before you go "Oh no, not another MeloDeath band from Finland" you should at least hear these guys.
Blind Stare has been around since 1999, and has made themselves quite big, at least in the Finnish Underground, but even outside of Finland has they been spoken off. And I guess that's the reason (together with their skills) why Spanish Arise Records chose to sign them.

Anyway, Blind Stare has released four demos and a self-financed Ep, an Ep that got them their contract (MS review by Undercraft). They started out as a Viking Death Metal band, but the music has turned and today they are a MeloDeath band (with stress on the word Death) with a little more Death than all their compatriots.
So Blind Stare is not the regular "Children of Bodom rip-off" that we already have too many of.

Sure, "Symphony of Delusions" contains an endless amount of riffs, keyboards, clean and grow vocals, but its whole picture you'll have to look at, you'll easy hear that the music is heavier; it's a bit rawer than the PowerDeath of (for example) CoB.
Personally I prefer both, it depends on the mood, but if you think the Power MeloDeath is a bit to "cheesy", then maybe Blind Stare will ease your hunger.

"Symphony of Delusions" only negative thing is that I'm missing these songs that you won't forget, these unforgettable moments that makes an album so great.
Or, this album contains one, and that's the inhuman riffing in the song "Words of Truth", I really can't get enough of that.
Otherwise it's great tunes, with great musicianship, but the magic touch is missing.
But we shall not forget that this is the debut, Blind Stare will have many chances to write the perfect album.

So to conclude, Blind Stare delivers music in the more classical school of MeloDeath, with more Death than "power". They have made a pretty strong first album and I think will please many that have grown tired of listening to the same old bands all the time.

Check Out: "Words of Truth", "All for the Unspoken" & "Thornhearts".