AMBERIAN DAWN · Temptation's Gates | BLACK LP

Black vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

Background information about 'Temptation's Gates'

Something is shifting in the Finnish symphonic metal camp, and "Temptation's Gates" is the sound of a band stepping through it with their heads held high. Amberian Dawn have a new voice in Nicole Willerton, and she does not simply fill a spot — she kicks the door open. The title track arrives at full gallop, drenched in epic orchestrations and a storytelling swagger that grabs you by the collar before you have time to sit down. Then "The Vision of Dreaming" digs in with a riff that refuses to leave your skull, hinting that this singer is far more than a gentle fairy floating through dreamy realms.

And then comes "Moon", which slams the tempo up to blast beat territory while somehow staying magical right to its final, unexpected turn. The screams that close it out echo straight into "Unchained", where Willerton lets loose with growls that cut against her seraphic clean vocals — a genuine first for this band, and a thrilling one. "Eternal Flame" and "Life is Art" stand tall as epic hymns built on gorgeous guitar work, while "The Night is Waiting for Me" gets heads nodding from the very first note with a modern, dark-metal atmosphere. The ballad "Undying Colours" drifts into a layered dreamscape, and "Phantasmagoria" closes the record as an irresistibly danceable piece that proves symphonic metal can grow modern without shedding an ounce of its whimsical grandeur. This is a band rewriting their own destiny, and it sounds magnificent.

For fans of: Nightwish, Delain, Xandria, Beyond the Black, Epica

Track listing

A1. Temptation's Gates
A2. The Vision of Dreaming
A3. Moon
A4. Unchained
A5. Eternal Flame
B1. Life is Art
B2. This Night is Waiting for Me
B3. Undying Colours
B4. The Garden
B5. Phantasmagoria

Manufacturer: Napalm Records Handels GmbH, Hammerplatz 2, 8790 Eisenerz, Austria , Contact: napalmrecords.com