Release Date: 22 November 2024
Song Count: 9 (original: 4)
Rating: 8.0/10
Description:
(Note: Written and published past midnight.)
Okay, it may arguably be cheating to rate this here, given that Universal Tales is considered an EP in practice, and is only listed as an album on streaming sites because it also includes orchestral and film score versions from either songs prior or from earlier in the EP. However, going into this not knowing that this was "just" an EP, I figured I may as well make as much of my listening experience as possible.
Another act from the home country of yours truly, Xandria is a symphonic metal band that has been around since 1994 - and as a proper band since 1999 - and has seen a bunch of transformations and lineup changes over multiple decades, but has kept its roots and musical identity throughout all of the time it has seen pass by, especially with the original mind behind the band, Marco Heubaum, keeping through with the band from its beginnings as an individual music project until today.
Their second EP and most recent release, Universal Tales, consists of 4 different original songs, 4 orchestral versions, and one acoustic film score version of a song from the previous album. The regular power metal tracks are upbeat and energetic, and make the listener feel like they are going on a grand adventure. The vocals are carried out phenominally, stitching the entire album together in one graceful yet firm flow, and the backing choirs, especially in the orchestral versions, add to the feeling of grandiosity and impact of the tracks overall. This is all wrapped up into a neat bow by the extremely well-performed and enjoyable instrumentals that inject the songs with vitality and let it swing into the highs that they reach.
An overall very lovingly made EP, and one that certainly leaves me wanting to review an actual album from the band behind it.