ALBUM REVIEW: The Light Within – Surma

Symphonic metal, by its very tenets and principles, is one of the most difficult sub-genres of metal to not only do well but even just to accomplish. It requires an extreme ear for details and meticulous layering of texture upon texture; strings, synths, electronics, and not to mention the standard instruments and vocals. Enter SURMA, a new symphonic metal project created by vocalist Viktorie Surmová in conjunction with TÝR vocalist/guitarist Heri Joensen.

Their debut album, The Light Within, does an admirable job and constructing a solid and often times very beautiful symphonic metal record full of interesting ideas and textures. Though there is some left on the table with this first record, and a little more polish on the songcraft and mixing would serve the band well, this is a first effort that certainly should open some ears.

The instrumental first track Rendition is a lush and epic opener that calls to mind movie trailers and video games like the Soul Calibur series; tales of souls and swords and quests untold. It’s very cinematic and sweeping, and it wastes no time launching into the title track, Reveal The Light Within. Now one concept to note about this record is that it takes the often long-winded and complex nature of the sub-genre and has compacted the songs down to no longer than five minutes, with most below four. This is a welcome and refreshing addition, and this opening title track demonstrates the power in that move. Surmova does an excellent job with her solo vocals here, and there’s a breeze that sweeps the song along to its conclusion. The issue here is the instrumentation is so layered and dense that it blends together in the mix a bit. Each instrument individually sounds great, just a little touch-up on the mix would certainly help solve that problem.

Like The River Flows is a driving track with very nice instrumentation in the opening. It’s also the only song with growls which adds nice vocal texture on top of the ethereal female voice. The solo sections sound great but a little more punch on the chorus would put the song up a notch. Fire And Wind keeps up the pace with a driving drum and bass intro before sliding into a slinky riff. There’s some nice harmonies here but also some choral flourishes that unfortunately get lost in the background. One thing to note is the guitar tone and playing throughout the record. It’s nearly immaculate on every track and the solos that Joensen has created stand out in a big way.

Desire slows things down with a haunting solo voice opening and a pure orchestral nature that sets it apart, although the chorus is a bit repetitive. This middle section of the album is where things really heat up, beginning with the grower of a track, The City Of Winds. Though its odd tempo changes feel disjointed and chaotic at first, its strange chord changes and its eventual switch to male clean vocals and a hugely uplifting melody make this track a highlight along with follow up track The Selkie, whose wistful and evocative melody works so well with Surmova’s power.

Lost To Time is undoubtedly the other highlight on the record, with an excellent vocal melody and stunning harmonies from start to finish. It’s very hooky, but it has a heft to it, and it’s capped by, once again, an exceptional solo from Joensen. As for the rest of the record, the songs are certainly good but they don’t quite reach the next level. Until It Rains Again has a driving chorus and a lilting melody in the verse that is quite lovely, and Downfall brings back that epic video game feel and adds some subtle texture with the tone on the background guitar riffing. However, ultimately these and the remaining tracks don’t inspire to the same heights, though the building blocks and talent are certainly there in spades.

SURMA is a band that will be exciting to watch going forward. Though certainly a less than perfect record, The Light Within is an album that took the shortened symphonic metal song format and executed it very well. With work on the mix and perhaps some work crafting more grabbing vocal and instrumental hooks, this project has a boatload of talent in its corner, ready to create the next great symphonic metal album and join the pantheon of greats performing in arenas across Europe. It just might take a little to get there.

Rating: 7/10

The Light Within is set for release on November 6th via Metal Blade Records. 

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