Symfonia – In Paradisum

Releasedate: 01-04-2011; Label: Edel
By: Lara Cappelli

Symfonia is a power metal band formed in 2010. It boasts the presence of several well-known metal musicians who have now released their first album together, “In Paradisum”.

After Timo Tolkki and Stratovarius parted ways, the Finnish guitarist got several projects active that made him stay on the metal scene pretty often. Now that it’s time for Symfonia, Timo’s fans might easily guess what they’re getting their hands on by simply glimpsing at the line up of the band: Andrè Matos, ex vocalist of Angra, ex Sonata Arctica’s Mikko Härkin, Jari Kainulainen, ex bassist of Stratovarius, and ex Halloweens’s and Gamma Ray’s Uli Kusch. Yes, “In Paradisum” is the case of a power metal album that carries all of the elements of this genre: driving rhythms married with melody and the several use of keyboards and guitar solos. As the names of the members might suggest, that’s all perfectly crafted from a technical point of view: none of those elements is too stressed and, overall, that gives birth to quite a balanced album. What the album really lacks is a dash of originality. It’s not long before you realize the band doesn’t shrink from the stereotypes this genre imposes, which risks to make the whole album sound like a repetitive self quotation. The title track is the only one that stands out from this fault and gains a voice itself. Symfonia show themselves brave enough to use several chores and musical expedients to deaden the length of the song. However, this braveness of theirs isn’t played on and turns out to be what makes this album not noteworthy enough, which is a pity considering the line up that stands behind it.

Line Up:
Andrè Matos – Vocals
Timo Tolkki – Guitar
Mikko Härkin – Keyboards
Jari Kainulainen – Bass
Uli Kusch – Drums