▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Helion Prime ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Helion Prime █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-03-03 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: AFM Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ They are the self proclaimed ôScience Fiction █ █ Metal band.ö According to their official band █ █ page, their name is derived from a planet from the █ █ movie æÆChronicles of Riddick.ÆÆ I have seen the █ █ æÆRiddickÆÆ movies in a few years so I couldnÆt █ █ really confirm it by memory but from what I read, █ █ it is indeed from that movie. I was expecting full █ █ blown pro-typical Power Metal with lyrics that █ █ were talking about the usual nonsense we hear █ █ about in most of the Power Metal. LetÆs face it, █ █ the genre has had its fair share of ups and downs █ █ and a lot was revolving around the same lyrical █ █ content. It was considered as quite unoriginal but █ █ this is far from the case. This is one of the very █ █ best albums I have listened this year among all █ █ the albums I have reviewed for the Metal Temple. █ █ They are refreshing and original. █ █ █ █ The first song is æÆInto the Alien Terrain.ÆÆ ItÆs █ █ a very keyboard driven instrumental introduction █ █ to the album. Strong narration gives it a lot of █ █ depth and you can sense you will start a journey, █ █ a quest for knowledge. The second song is æÆThe █ █ Drake Equation.ÆÆ ItÆs a very technical song. The █ █ vocalist sounds a bit like Cristina Scabbia from █ █ LACUNA COIL. As for the music, it sounds a lot █ █ like late 90Æs-early 2000s IN FLAMES. I was █ █ expecting full blown Power Metal and this caught █ █ me by surprise. It has a very catchy chorus. The █ █ third song is æÆLife Finds a Way.ÆÆ This sounded a █ █ lot like early INTO ETERNITY. It has dual vocals █ █ and tremendous guitar riffs. It talks about the █ █ evolution of earth. It talks about dog eat dog and █ █ DarwinÆs origin of the species. They say life will █ █ survive no matter what and it always changes to █ █ adapt to the surroundings. They talk about the █ █ first humans, dinosaurs and how species want to █ █ dominate each other to evolve and survive in the █ █ cruel world. █ █ █ █ The fourth song is æÆInto the Black Hole.ÆÆ It █ █ starts off with a really sweet and bizarre █ █ keyboard solo. The song reminded me of the █ █ greatness of bands like AYREON and STAR ONE but a █ █ bit faster. All the vocal arrangements reminded me █ █ of the genius of Arjen Anthony Lucassen especially █ █ on his last few albums. The fifth song is æÆA █ █ Place I Thought I Knew.ÆÆ It begins a pretty nice █ █ acoustic guitar solo then you get the beautiful █ █ voice of Heather Michele Smith. She talks about █ █ disillusion and how much the human kind has made █ █ earth a worst place as time goes on. Like █ █ TESTAMENT talked about in their last album, Man █ █ Kills Mankind. ItÆs a pretty slow song but quite █ █ powerful. The sixth song is æÆYou Keep What You █ █ Kill.ÆÆ It starts off with a pretty nice █ █ narration. There is a whole lot of Double Bass █ █ Drumming on this one and itÆs pretty hectic. This █ █ is probably the fastest song of the album. It does █ █ remind me again of INTO ETERNITY. You also have █ █ the nice touch of Harsh Vocals. They talk about █ █ that people like to keep trophies to prove their █ █ dominance over others. They is a double standard. █ █ Some people kill for food, and some kill for █ █ triumph. They talk about how people love to show █ █ off, especially their dominance over another █ █ species. █ █ █ █ The seventh song is æÆOcean of Time.ÆÆ This █ █ reminded me a lot of SYMPHONY X (PS: one of my █ █ favorite bands of all time). They talk about how █ █ large the universe is with its multiple galaxies █ █ and whatnot. Humanity would need a million █ █ lifetimes to discover everything. They compare it █ █ to analyzing each droplet of water in an ocean. It █ █ would take an eternity to take the time to do █ █ daunting task. The eighth song is æÆMoon █ █ Watcher.ÆÆ This song if full blown PRIMAL FEAR. █ █ They talk about people watching the skies to know █ █ what to do with their lives. Some people try to █ █ analyze the different phases of the moon to see █ █ what it means to life itself. They talk about █ █ people watching the stars and their alignments to █ █ know what it could mean. Since the beginning of █ █ time, man has watched the sky with awe without █ █ really knowing everything about it. The ninth song █ █ is æÆApollo (The Eagle Has Landed).ÆÆ ItÆs pretty █ █ much self explanatory. It talks about the single █ █ greatest accomplishment of mankind. The moon █ █ landing and how stubborn humanity was and wanting █ █ at all costs to walk on the moon. Another song █ █ that reminded me of the epicness of AYREON. █ █ █ █ The tenth and last song is æÆLive and Die in the █ █ Same Day.ÆÆ It talks about the fragility of life, █ █ how you can do in an instant. You live and also █ █ die in the same day, you take your first breath █ █ and your last breath in the same as well. ItÆs an █ █ internal crisis that eventuality we all have to █ █ face. You have some clean male vocals that remind █ █ me of AVANTASIA or SONATA ARCTICA. The guy has a █ █ killer voice and itÆs a really nice touch. This is █ █ by far the best song of the album. This is a █ █ breath of fresh air from this American band. They █ █ have a killer sound and the album cover is a █ █ throwback to the old sci-fi movies from the 60Æs. █ █ One of the best albums of the year bar none. █ █ █ █ http://www.helionprimemetal.com/ █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Into the Alien Terrain 1:34 ░ ░ 2. The Drake Equation 4:44 ░ ░ 3. Life Finds a Way 4:23 ░ ░ 4. Into the Black Hole 4:52 ░ ░ 5. A Place I Thought I Knew 5:36 ░ ░ 6. You Keep What You Kill 4:14 ░ ░ 7. The Ocean of Time 5:26 ░ ░ 8. Moon-Watcher 4:38 ░ ░ 9. Apollo (The Eagle has Landed) 5:46 ░ ░ 10. Live and Die on This Day 6:50 ░ ░ 48:03 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░