After a first album in 2017 (see here), the British ‘Operose’ released a new album ‘Oceans of Starlight’. They evolve in a symphonic metal style and the singer 'Jennifer Coleman' is a mezzo-soprano who uses her lyric singing in all titles that can make think of 'Therion' group (see last album here) because Jennifer can recall 'Lori Lewis' but also 'Heidi Parviainen' from 'Dark Sarah' (see here).
These are 8 tracks for a duration of 44 minutes which are offered to us with a remarkable variety between energy and serenity with from the beginning, a fast and powerful 'Battle Swan' in which the powerful song of 'Jennifer Coleman' works wonders. With 'Oceans of Starlight' which remains in a energetic tempo, the parallel with 'Therion' is quite obvious not only on the vocal level but also in the rhythm and in the melodic lines, then, 'Lost Horizon' offers us a heady melody in an atmosphere still very close to 'Therion' but this time much quieter with a new flawless performance by Jennifer. And it is in an even more symphonic atmosphere that 'Operose' takes its full dimension with' This Life of Mine 'which unrolls a melody borrowed from the classic and which also offers a remarkable rhythmic section shifted and the following scrolls through 'Nothing Left' , a mid-tempo in the melodic lines of the metal opera 'Beloved Antechrist', the short instrumental 'Sleeping Tides' which gives us a break in the form of a concerto for piano with beautiful choirs before going back to the powerful and energetic 'Octavian' much more progressive with different changes of tempo and beautiful alternations between vocal and instrumental parts. It is with the 12 minutes of 'The Actium Suite' that the album ends in beauty with an instrumental based on melodic lines of metallic orchestral music and if you are fans of electric guitars with classic soarings of presto movements, you will be delighted with this composition (metal groups often make this kind of mixture like for example 'The Four Seasons' from the group 'Vivaldi Metal Project').
In summary, the English of 'Operose' released a remarkable album of symphonic metal with a tasty mix between classical music and metal and 'Oceans of Starlight 'is recommended for those who appreciate formations like 'Thérion' for the lyric song and the melodic lines and 'Roman Rouzine' (see here) for the instrumental side... | |
