EASTERN HIGH - Halo

EASTERN HIGH

Album: Halo

Genre: Dark, melodic metal

Release Date: July 30th, 2021

Country: Sweden

Label: Self-released

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Originally started as a project by the brothers Ola and Johan Svensson after the split of their previous band WASTED SHELLS in 2015, the Swedish metal-act EASTERN HIGH gained some well-deserved attention with their debut “Garden of Heathens” in 2017. By completing the line-up with Fredrik Rosdahl, Niklas Cvetkovski and Christian Lindström, the project turned into a real band, and now released their second album “Halo” on July 30th, 2021. Thematically, the quintet tells eight imaginery stories with personal and social topics, inspired by our modern times and the awakening generation.

“Erosion of Hearts” builds up tension slowly but surely with the guitars, before they kick in with full power. A female voice can be heard, then singer Ole Svensson joins for the first time - strong and melodic. The overall mood is dark, the hard-hitting bass tone adds a good pinch of heaviness, so do the drums. With „Emperor“, they lift up tempo and “let the beast come in”, reflecting on an inner battle between sanity and insanity. The polyphonic background vocals bring in something mystical, the instrumentation comes along with a fat sound, and together they carry the great melody-lines.

„Notorious Enemy“ caught me because of the high energy and is one of my highlights here. Next up, EASTERN HIGH send the listener on a “Journey”, following a man who searches for a new path in life. His travelling and reaching of a new shore is well transported in the music. “Morning Star” is another powerful mid-tempo track, dealing with the question whether we’re alone in the universe.

“Dystopia” became my personal favorite on "Halo", as the rhythm section builds up lots of pressure, and the expressive, deep vocals intensify the gloomy atmosphere. Track No7, “Halo”, comes along heavy during the verse, mesmerizing in the chorus, and with more questions than answers: What do we know, we who live under the halo? EASTERN HIGH close the album with „Ashes To Ashes“, a touching ballad about losing a beloved person, supported by beautiful piano and guitar playing.

With a little bit of horror and a little bit of hope, EASTERN HIGH offer a great album for fans of dark, melodic metal. Everything seems to be in the right place, and while each musician could convince with their skills, the band presents itself as a strong unit. The music is powerful with varied song-writing, always fitting to the topics, and delivers melodies that easily get stuck in your head. The deep vocals bring in something special, so does the hard bass tone. Thanks to the amazing production, “Halo” comes along with a full, heavy sound, worth to crank it up on a good stereo. Give it a spin \m/

Written by Katha