Thalia - When you're stubborn, and French, and play melodic metal

Thalia

The River Of Books

Rockshots Records

26 April 2024

The hippopotamus groans and squeals. The dog barks and howls. The bear growls. It's not the zoo, kids. It's metal music. No wonder people don't like this genre, right?! It's loud and obnoxious and nobody wants to sing, only make farm animal noises. Going to a metal music show is like going to the Washington State fair: you'll see horses, you'll hear dogs, you'll smell pigs. It's fun, but it's not an event for people wanting something pretty, nice and fragrant.

Then, there's Thalia. Oh, my goodness, do my ears deceive me? Is that singing that I hear? Am I dreaming or am I hallucinating? The voice is full, melodic and strong. If you like good singing, perhaps more on the soulful side, then this voice may make you a fan. It sounds like a human man, but not an angry man yelling or hollering, but rather simply singing, and even when he does higher parts, it is melodic. If you would like to hear some singing (no growling, just singing!), or if you would like to sing along, then you've arrived at the right place. Naturally, if you are partial to melodic singing, then it is very likely that you will find pleasure in this music.

It also helps that the songwriting and the singing go very well together. Melodic, midpaced guitar work, anchored by a stout rhythm section, makes the songs a good listen. At times the music moves and sounds like prog heavy metal-classic rock, a bit more on the rocking side of the equation, although it goes to mellower, pensive and very melodic moments as well. The songwriting shows a lot of effort to keep the listener entertained and returning for repeated listens, without having the songs meander or launch into left-field tangents or show-off parts. The songs last anywhere from three to five minutes, with a few closer to six minutes, for some 12 songs in 51 minutes. When you hear them repeatedly, they do not feel like they wear out their welcome.

Maybe the album is so good because the band has a history. Apparently, they began in 1985 in France. In 1987 they had a six-song, 32-minute demo, with additional demos in 1990 and 1991, an EP in 1998 and the debut full-length in 2000 and broke up in 2001. They had tried to get it going again, but could not, until 2021 when they reactivated the band. This 2024 album seems to feature the exact same line-up as the 2000 album. In general, you'll want to turn to Thalia for some good, soulful singing within the context of adult contemporary melodic metal music. I have heard this album a whole bunch of times. It's always been good, and it never feels boring or redundant or like I have exhausted everything there is to be enjoyed on this album.

Thalia “Vision Empire“ - OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO

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