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Vandroya: Beyond The Human Mind
Vandroya Beyond The Human Mind CD Album Review

Vandroya: Beyond The Human Mind

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal
4.5/5.0

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Inner Wound Recordings
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 19.04.2017

Four years on from their 2013 debut album, One, Brazil's melodic power metal band Vandroya returns with their second long player, Beyond The Human Mind. According to the band in the label's press release, "The album concept revolves around the journey we all go through in search of fullness, inner peace, and ourselves."

Vandroya Band Photo

Vandroya

With this album, Vandroya strays little from their melodic power metal foundations. You're met with some speed and gallop from the start with The Path To The Endless Fall and Maya. Yet, with that latter song, you'll find Vandroya playing with some progressive metal elements, often with breakdowns in tempo change. The progressive power metal are more self-evident in the title track where initial steady heaviness gives way to a lighter middle, and then finishes with a flourish speed and soaring guitars. And guitar solos are abundant and fiery across this work. If you like lead guitar play, you'll love this album. But mostly the power metal rules the album, with songs like Time After Time, I'm Alive, and You'll Know My Name racing along. That latter song has a strong bass line throughout and a prevalent synth layer in the second half.

Yet Vandroya can back off on the bracing tempo. If I Forgive Myself is a soaring heavy metal anthem opened by piano and rising by Daisa Munhoz's strong voice. Then there's the quite stirring ballad, Last Breath. Perhaps the best song here, it features Ms Munhoz' voice over some acoustic guitar play, accompanied by synth orchestration. Listening to the song several times, I wondered, if dropped into the Nashville context, and given a different spin, Last Breath could be a modern country rock ballad.

All in all, Vandroya's Beyond The Human Mind presents some solid melodic power metal with some progressive metal nuances. It's a fine second effort for the band, probably even surpassing their debut. Recommended.

Vandroya - I'm Alive




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The Bottom Line

Vandroya's Beyond The Human Mind presents some solid melodic power metal with some progressive metal nuances. It's a fine second effort for the band, probably even surpassing their debut. Recommended.

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