The Swedish melodic power metal formation Metalite is back! In their luggage they have their fourth studio album "Expedition One", which tells the fictional story of life on our planet in the year 2055.
"Expedition One" is a nuanced and varied offering with a strong melodic backbone to the music that shines not just in the catchy choruses that abound on this record but also in the instrumental interplay between the guitars and drums, or in how the vocals come across. However, it is the way they calibrate the heaviness (especially when it comes to the guitars) and the free-flowing melodies that is the ultimate selling point of their music and the reason for this album’s playability (despite its length). Fans of Amaranthe, Temperance, or Delain will find plenty to enjoy on this record.

Los Angeles native Nita Strauss has become a force in music. After reaching mass acclaim with her first album, Controlled Chaos, she returns with her 2nd full-length on Sumerian Records, The Call Of The Void. Featuring the highly popular "Dead Inside," and "The Wolf You Feed," the album is a combination of melodic sounds and hard hitting riffs that Strauss has become known for, proving time and time again that she has solidified her presence as one of rock's greatest. The new record features a bevy of guest vocalists (David Draiman from Disturbed, Anders Friden from In Flames, Alice Cooper, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm), an example of Strauss not being afraid to try something new.

Music has become more important than ever in recent times. As a result, the triumphant return of AMARANTHE feels particularly timely. The Swedish six-piece have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014’s Massive Addictive and its immaculate follow-up Maximalism (2016), AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle. Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Olof Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.