ALBUM REVIEW: Chasing Euphoria – Lutharo

Canada’s LUTHARO arrived on the scene and quickly garnered fan attention thanks to the accomplished nature of their 2021 debut album Hiraeth. Expertly mixing various styles of heavy metal from melodeath to power metal, the band are already showing that they’re experts in their craft. Their second full-length, Chasing Euphoria, builds upon what they created with Hiraeth in every way.  

After the epic build of opening instrumental Gates Of Enchantment, we’re greeted with the powerful Reaper’s Call. The guitars explode and set the frets alight as vocalist Krista Shipperbottom makes her presence known instantly. Her incredible vocal range is on show once more as she switches between shrieks and gut-wrenching screams – that is until her clean vocals soar to the skies with admirable determination.  

Ruthless Bloodline rips through at a tremendous pace. Here the guitars echo early 2000s metalcore in the verses but then open into a more power metal territory for the sizeable chorus. The band seem to be able to switch effortless between genres without it sounding muddled. Another striking solo from Victor Bucur hits towards the final moments – only two tracks in and you can tell just how skilled each band member is.  

Shipperbottom’s vocals take centre stage on Time To Rise as we hear her brutal harsh vocals take a step back allowing her more vulnerable clean singing to shine. While they aren’t quite on the same proficiency level as her screams, it is great to hear her push herself and they get better with multiple listens. Sadly her words don’t always cut through the instruments during the more hectic moments. Her “It’s easy to stay quiet, but they’ll never silence me” line in this track will become ingrained into your mind very quickly.

Don’t expect a mid-album lull in Chasing Euphoria; in fact, the triple hitter of Bonded By The Blade, Chasing Euphoria and Creating A King houses arguably the best tracks on the album. Bonded By The Blade leans heavily into the folk metal genre, with its ENSIFERUM-like licks and Scandi-influenced swagger. Chasing Euphoria not only chases it, but achieves it thanks to its massive chorus and ethereal orchestral elements. Creating A King pierces through its punishing verses with a pre-chorus riff that’s straight out of the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE playbook before another infectious chorus hits home.  

If you were uninspired with ARCH ENEMY’s recent output then tracks like the late album highlight Strong Enough To Fall will no doubt satisfy your cravings. Another spectacular solo (they really are special on this record) lands before a key change into the final chorus. You could argue that the song structures are all very formulaic, but when they are done so well it’s a small and somewhat insignificant gripe. Born To Ride is also slightly too ‘by the numbers’ and the cleanly sung verses don’t hit as hard as they could. The drumming is consistently concise and while it’s never flashy, it still commands a strong presence within each track as Cory Hofing uses his blistering footwork to help add pace and purpose to each track.  

While it’s easy to compare them to other bands in this genre with female vocalists, LUTHARO do stand out on their own. Their closest rivals are probably fellow Canadians UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, but they both have their own distinguishable qualities. Rather than going head-to-head for supremacy, they should view each other as friendly competition and strive to become the best versions of themselves.  

Chasing Euphoria is chock full of raw power and aggression but packs a remarkable amount of melody. LUTHARO weave a tapestry of passion and prowess throughout each track. If this band doesn’t blow up soon it’ll be criminal.  

Rating: 9/10

Chasing Euphoria is set for release on March 15th via Atomic Fire Records.

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