Rarely do you find the kind of productivity in the current scene that this New York/ Pennsylvania band Severed Angel has issued in the past three years. Their debut self-titled album hit the market in May 2023 (reviewed by this scribe for this very site), followed a year later by the sophomore outing Skyward. Now ten months later, When Eternity Ends becomes the third full-length for the symphonic, melodic heavy metal band – taking their sound into further expansion as far as cinematic or catchier textures in one aspect, while being more refined and focused in others.
An immediate standout would be the emphasis on guitarist Alex Repetti’s higher register vocal melodies – which can be very similar to what you expect from acts like Styx or Blind Guardian. The layering of his harmonies makes “Cry Out to the World” an early favorite, the calmer, intro guitar lines next to the gothic-tinged keyboard parts of Marc Muchnik setting the stage for the upbeat, driving nature of subsequent musical elements. Aspects of extreme / modern metal come into play for “In My Skin”, the fusion of choirs, darker growls/screams, as well as a semi rap-oriented sequence that mirrors a quick hitting drum tempo certainly illustrates the band’s wider songwriting approach to prove risk taking measures could pay dividends to long-term appeal. The under three-minute “Shed” has a progressive twist as the riffs shift between natural power and higher BPM measures, the symphonic textures alluring next to Alex’s alternative melodies while the lead break from Lou Mavs checks all the boxes for shred-like arpeggio sweeps. Drummer Wayne Noon displays equal aspects of rhythm foundations next to some energetic, intricate transitions and fill work during another spotlight track “Like Lightning” – a bright, harmony-fueled chorus shimmers next to a killer, half-time monster riff transition where more aggressive vocals should galvanize the audiences in a live setting.
They often say by a third album you establish your benchmark traits instead of being influenced purely from your heroes. When Eternity Ends does this for Severed Angel – representing a melodic heavy metal quintet that is equally modern as it is progressive and symphonic, which should be very alluring to grab a wider fanbase.