Metalite – Expedition One (AFM Records)

Wednesday, 17th January 2024 By Katarina McGinn

Rating: 9/10

Metalite have been masters of fusing modern metal, power metal bombast, and pop-infused fun since 2017’s Heroes in Time. At this point, it’s been 3 years since their last release, A Virtual World, though they have been continually releasing singles (which made their way here as bonus) and really pushed Expedition One with plenty of pre-released tracks. So, in other words, there’s been plenty of Metalite to enjoy along the way. With that said, Expedition One is their first true concept album and sits at a staggering 67-minute runtime. Is there such a thing as too much?

Thankfully, in the case of Expedition One, the answer is a rousing no. While the runtime is padded a bit with the aforementioned bonus singles, listening to it all at once is a greater challenge but Metalite really powers through the extended journey without losing any of their flair. While one could make the case that the band is more or less doing their usual shtick, it’s impressive how they could take the modern/power/pop sound and keep the listener intrigued (and singing along) for the entire journey. There’s not a weak track in the bunch to slow down the momentum, and the concept album idea along with the lengthier experience leads to them putting some more mid-tempo stuff in there to balance their thrilling, soaring, bouts of speedy power metal anthems. The best part? Those more midtempo tracks are just as fun. Which, let’s be honest, is the ultimate reason for listening to Metalite in the first place – it’s incredibly fun to listen along with. The plodding grooves of “Outer Worlds” and the chorus is a definite ‘sing-a-long,’ though admittedly “In My Dreams” takes the award for the strongest ‘sing-a-long’ with it’s ballad-y approach and potent use of Erica Ohlsson’s charismatic vocals.

Those interested in the high-energy driving tempo showcases the band is known for should be quite happy as well. “Cyberdome” is an all-out romp of energy and fun, from it’s big synth section to the stomping riffs and soaring melodies. It’s followed up by “Blazing Skies,” which fires up the power metal glory with full intensity. Truth be told, the title track is a fantastic opener for the album, wasting no time in getting all the energy running at maximum capacity, which “Aurora” takes full advantage up and rachets up the heaviness in all the right ways (the riffs are surprisingly monstrous from the act).

Metalite provide a spirited adventure through the skies with Expedition One. They have a firm grasp on what works best for them as musicians and do their best to bring out those qualities in each track, without pouring out 16 iterations of the same thing. It’s fun and energetic, just as they’ve always captured. The fact that they provide such a large bounty of tracks this time around only helps to sweeten the pot. If you have dug their sound in the past, you are going to love this, and if it’s your first time, get ready for an addictive, catchy ride.