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March 2023

• Excalion: Once Upon A Time
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• Narnia: Ghost Town
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Phantom Elite: Blue Blood

Modern Melodic Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 14.03.2023 | Released: 17.03.2023

Featuring vocalist Marina La Torraca, Phantom Elite first appeared in 2018 with their self-released Wasteland. Three years later La Torraca would gather a new band, with multi-instrumentalist Max van Esch and drummer Joeri Warmerdam, for the sophomore album, Titanium. Now, the trio returns with their third album, Blue Blood which, once more finds producer and guitarist Sander Gommans (ex-After Forever) at the knobs.

Phantom Elite

While the previous album was more akin to melodic symphonic metal, this new album finds Phantom Elite making a turn towards modern melodic heavy metal. The song arrangements are dense with thick riffs, bombastic blast beating drums, thumping bass, synth embellishment, and quirky electronic programming. Of those elements, the last one seemed the most prominent new addition. Adding up the characteristics, some might even consider the Phantom Elite sound partly industrial metal.

Of course, Ms Torraca's versatile vocal style is at the forefront. With some range she sings clean leading the song melody and adding vocal harmony, yet can also be fierce and raging as well. The former is found within Fragments, Laid With Vines, and Birdcage. That last song, as an anthemic ballad, is the softest (at least to start) song of the album, yet also displays Torraca's soulfulness. The fierce and raging vocal style is also self-evident, certainly at the start with Skin Of My Teeth, but also Daydark and Black Sunrise. Yet, Torraca's assertiveness is not without her instinct for melody and harmony. If any song tipped the scale towards more "modern" metal it would be Apex. Torraca's vocal style is the most different with a forceful staccato delivery over that aforementioned possible industrial groove.

All in all, Blue Blood finds Phantom Elite making an interesting turn towards more melodic modern metal with big riffs, blasting beats, thumping bass, and large amounts of electronic programming. But Marina La Torraca's versatile vocal style remains at the forefront. If you're a fan of the band, you will enjoy this album.

Support the Artist & Dangerdog Music Reviews: This title is available, with unlimited streaming, via an Amazon Music account.

Blue Blood finds Phantom Elite making an interesting turn towards more melodic modern metal with big riffs, blasting beats, thumping bass, and large amounts of electronic programming. But Marina La Torraca's versatile vocal style remains at the forefront.

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