Furia is another great death/black metal act in the vein of Children of Bodom meets Cradle of Filth. They are similar to many of the hybrid bands like Skyfire and Omnium Gatherum. The band manages to blend the soaring Finnish melodies and keyboard instrumentations with the vocals and gothic atmosphere of Cradle. This album is one of the best I’ve heard from a French band in a long time.

The riffage is excellent. Each note is distinct and perfectly placed. The guitar sound is similar to that of Bodom or In Flames but their styles are not co-opted. It is clear that these bands are major influences but at the same time, the style is not too similar. I appreciate when a band can pay homage without directly ripping off the style. The keyboards and orchestrations are tailored to fit this music perfectly. For black/death hybrid metal, the drumming is also perfectly suited; with a balance struck between the two styles. The bass can actually be heard on this album unlike most other albums in this vein. It is not too over powering or too tinny. It functions well as a support to the music in general. In terms of vocals, we have a veritable feast of styles and deliveries. The traditional death growls are present and spot on. The black vocals would make any spiked gauntlet wearing metaller proud. Female vocals a la Cradle or Dimmu Borgir are also present and certainly accentuate the songs in all the right places with “Elmira, L'image D'un Destin” as a perfect example. Other vocal lines use heavy effects which, despite my prejudice, fit well. All the vocals are sung in French and while I don’t understand a word of the language, it doesn’t phase me since I often cannot understand the words sung in English by bands of this ilk.

This is a concept album and is meant to be listened to and understood in a linear order. “Les Révélations D'un Temp Passé” is one of the best tracks on the album. It has a slower tempo than most black metal but the constant double bass almost makes it sound like Kamelot style power metal that has been evilized. The keyboards have an ominous sound to them that juxtaposes with the screams. The intro to this song is quite sound effects laden. The one major flaw with this album (and a bunch of albums of late) is the over reliance on sound effects. One or two per album is fine but there are just too many and I feel that they some how distract one from the music. “Gaïlen...” is another favorite on the album. It feels like an In Flames song circa Whoracle at several parts. One noticeable similarity is part of one of the solos, which can be traced back to the solo from the track “The Hive” on Whoracle. “Le Jugement D'une Conscience” gives recent Dimmu Borgir a run for its money. The sound is terrific and brings new influences to a model that many thought had been perfected recently. It takes Dimmu Borgir in a slightly more progressive direction. “Les Deux Mondes...” is the best song that was left off of Damnation and a Day. It is truly spectacular in the use of keyboard and guitar harmony is the verse riff. The lessons imparted by Bodom did not go unnoticed here.

This is a surefire winner whether you enjoy either the black metal played by Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth, the Melodeath of In Flames, the Finnish sound of Children of Bodom or the blackened death sound of Skyfire or Kalmah. An awesome album by a band we should be hearing much, much more from in the future.