Are you ready to break out of the darkness?
Well, Valkyrie’s Fire has you covered with their newest shining armor, Out of Darkness.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Valkyrie’s Fire made sure that this record is everything that a symphonic metal album should be: intense, emotional, orchestral and adventurous from beginning to end.
So, let’s break it down! BLEGH!
Track #1: “In Spirit, In Shadow”
This dramatic instrumental piece is only 50 seconds, but it’s just enough to keep audiences intrigued.
Along with quick violin notes, Salem Belladonna’s billowing but serene cello starts the song, but halfway through, Ryan Metroka’s commanding drum beats and Joey Grimaldi’s booming guitar rips compliment the cello waves in an epic orchestra.
And keep your ears open, because the rising organ piano notes at the end make a seamless, undetectable transition into Track #2!
Track #2: “Evermore”
The organ from “In Spirit, In Shadow” falls into an excited electric guitar and background choir in “Evermore.”
This is the first time in the record that we hear Bettie Floyd and Adam Sanders’ lyricism, as they harmonize together about perseverance for a life worth living. Every symphonic note in this song encapsulates resoluteness: Grimaldi sends the track’s bridge to the skies with his powerful guitar solo, and Metroka, Floyd and Sanders finish it off with a drum-filled, melodic apex.
Track #3: “Valkyrie’s Fire”
In this third melody (lovingly named after the band), Metroka and Grimaldi hit the drums and shred the guitar so fast that they could give listeners whiplash. Yeah, this song is THAT good!
Beginning with an airy, orchestra-coated guitar and violin, “Valkyrie’s Fire” soon launches into drum hits and guitar licks faster than lightning, and this tempo stays consistent throughout most of the track.
Sanders and Floyd once again hold the song together with their harmonious inflections, with the latter singer completing the track with an operatic farewell.
But come on, you know Valkyrie’s Fire isn’t done yet!
Track #4: “Cascade”
In “Cascade,” the electric guitar is much more colorful, sounding just as starry as the night sky and Milky Way that Floyd and Sanders sing about.
The two vocalists’ inflections also take more center-stage in this track. So, if you want to get a better taste of the duo’s singing abilities, this is the song you want in your life!
Track #5: “Burning Sky”
Get ready for the night sky to burst into flames and lightning in “Burning Sky”! This is also the first track in the album to include death vocals, so you might wanna get the moshpit ready for this one!
Fans of Amaranthe will definitely enjoy this track because it features metal powerhouse Mikael Sehlin, whose flamethrower-level growls scorch through the speakers during the song’s bridge. So, as a fellow Amaranthe fan, I can proudly say this song is a win. Ten out of 10.
Track #6: “Shattered”
My compliments to Salem Belladonna’s cello and keyboard talents in Track #6! As a result of her work in “Shattered,” this grief anthem is more vulnerable than the previous five tracks, mostly in the first two minutes. But halfway through the song, the band circles back to the album’s overall intensity.
I want to particularly make note of this harmony’s tempo and tone experimentation because, in the song’s last few seconds, Floyd sings softly to a fading piano, crying to herself in the end. It’s as though the band wanted to conceptualize the various stages of grief after a devastating loss: the source of the grief (the gentle beginning), the anger toward the situation (guitar riffs halfway through the song) and the sad acceptance of it all, resulting in tears (the faint piano and quivering vocals at the end).
Overall, this is one of Valkyrie’s Fire’s most emotional melodies, and it expresses loss beautifully. Ten out of 10.
Track #7: “I See the Angels Fly”
Joined by Belladonna’s piano-style keyboard, Floyd starts Track #7 with operatic, loving intonations of “ghosts of the past” and the desire to move forward despite the painful odds. Sanders adds his singing monologue in the second verse, vocalizing about a new day. Just like Track #6, “I See the Angels Fly” is softer compared to the preceding songs, but it still maintains its prevailing power.
What especially stands out is the sudden silence after the bridge, followed by wistful guitar strums from Grimaldi. He finishes off the solo with hopeful, bright riffs. Consequently, the song implies a great reward after perseverance from peril. Ten out of 10.
Track #8: “Skylark”
We return to the album’s initial epic ferocity in “Skylark,” where Sanders and Floyd soar into a musical summit about freedom.
Additionally, we not only get the height of Metroka’s drumming skills in this harmony, but we also get a closer glimpse at Dave Hale’s bass shredding. Particularly, in the bridge, we hear echoes of Metroka’s drums, accompanied by Hale’s intricate bass notes.
Track #9: “Labyrinth”
In “Labyrinth,” Floyd and Sanders sing about the need for guidance in a confusing obstacle.
This track seems to lightly experiment with electronica, especially in the beginning and end, where the guitar seems to warp and expand, similar to electronica notes. We also get prolific bass and guitar solos from Hale and Grimaldi.
Track #10: “Bone and Thorn”
“Bone and Thorn” begins with nature ambient sounds: woodland footsteps, wind and birdsong. And soon after, we hear a twinkling acoustic guitar, Belladonna’s soothing cello and Sanders’ serene crooning about a lovely maiden. Floyd soon joins him, serenading about hiding from a brutal winter.
The imagery and ambience in “Bone and Thorn” give off a fairy-tale feel and, thus, makes for a rich, intriguing song. Definitely a win for us bookworms in the audience!
Track #11: “Dark Moon”
The beginning of “Dark Moon” contains static that sounds similar to rainfall. The start also sounds simultaneously haunting and soulful, with a sparse but bright keyboard from Belladonna, accompanied by a faint, echoing vocalization from Floyd.
In fact, Sanders provides deep, ghostlike lyrics in the background throughout most of “Dark Moon,” while Floyd’s presence is much more prominent. Belladonna has an intensive cello solo in the bridge and heavier visibility in “Dark Moon,” as well.
So, fans who want to hear more of Floyd and Belladonna need to listen to this song.
I think “Dark Moon” would make a great Halloween track, too. Ten out of 10.
Track #12: “Nocturne”
At the start of “Nocturne,” a gentle piano and cello accompany Floyd’s opera vocalizations. Immediately after, the song breaks into quick guitar shreds and choir-like background incantations.
Floyd additionally leans more into opera vocalizations in “Nocturne” as a whole, truly delving deeper into the symphonic metal aesthetic of this album.
Track #13: “I Will Rise Again”
The last track of the album made me so hopeful that I almost cried.
“I Will Rise Again” is the best way to end an album of wonder and adventure, beginning with hollow, breathing, wind-like ambience, followed by a post-punk-style guitar and a golden cello. Then the powerful electric guitar licks strike again, combined with theatric belting from Sanders and Floyd.
This track also includes a mighty chant before the chorus, the latter followed by a silver-lined monologue from Floyd, musing about a bright future ahead.
The ending also stands out: Here, the music fades into one long keyboard note and sounds of rain and thunder, smoothly dissolving into silence.
As a result, “I Will Rise Again” leaves you reaching out your hand, trying to grasp for the song’s last few notes, crying as the song waves its inevitable goodbye. Ten out of harmonious 10.
Conclusion
Valkyrie’s Fire is the type of band where listening is not enough. They’re here to draw audiences into their world. And with this record, they’ve done just that and more, making us curious, fascinated and wondering what they’re going to do in just the next few seconds. In Out of Darkness, the band experiments with tone, pitch and instrumentation, as though they were trying to tell an epic fantasy novel through music.
So, if you’re ready to get lost in the world of Valkyrie’s Fire, get your earbuds. Out of Darkness awaits you.
I’m Music Magazine Music Journalist Sydney James
