The seriously cool thing about running this blog is that I check out some absolute belting records. We’re only a week into 2025, and I might have just found one of the year's best metal records. You know you’ve found a good record when it just speaks to you on a primal level. Sometimes a band doesn’t need fancy gimmicks or over-the-top theatrics. The Halo Effect has already made quite the name for themselves in the last few years. Not just because they’re industry veterans, but because you can still hear that hunger, that strive to be better and to give their fans something fresh and interesting with each release. Their first album Days of The Lost from 2022 was a good initiation to this new sound. This new record March Of The Unheard is a complete refinement of that style and is a much-needed forward progression. I don’t know about you but when I hear the term melodic death metal, it’s a bit of a weird term. It doesn’t feel like a needed distinction. Where do you draw the line? To that, I do think that The Halo Effect find a wonderful balance between the melodic and the death aspects of the sub-genre.
What can I say when it comes to the production and the way each piece comes together on this record? It feels so complete with each layer building on the foundations of the basic instrumentation. The record has a wide-open sound with plenty of space for each song, and each element, to breathe. The guitar tone is tremendous with lots of creative riffs and tight licks that give every song that distinct character. The bottom floor of the sound is this wonderfully boomy bass that complements the versatile guitar and shredding guttural vocals. The precise and controlled drum work is fascinating when you break it down and just enjoy the fills here and there that hook you in before returning to the main rhythm. When you break down those individual elements you can appreciate the songs as a whole. I feel that the strongest tracks are the ones where the band feel, almost, operatic. The songs like “Between Directions” and the title track “March Of The Unheard”. Songs where the soundscape opens up and you just take in how much the band has to offer.
I’ll admit to you right now. Death metal is not usually my jam. I’m nowhere near an aficionado of the sub-culture. I’m still learning and I appreciate I have a lot to learn about it. So, I can certainly say that this is a good compromise for someone like me. It’s heavy enough and brings on the brutal moments. You can hear this on the single “Detonate”, on “Forever Astray” and the album opener “Conspire To Deceive”. Where the drums blast, the guitars grind and the vocals go all satanic. So it has its moment of brutality. Which are not only offset with the more melodic elements but with the general atmosphere. Hell, there’s even a halfway-point interlude to break up the record and get you ready for the second half. So, even though it's heavy there are enough melodic elements and rhythmic styles to elevate it to a different level.
Hopefully, I’ve done enough to convince you to give this record a chance. Even though this album is a little outside of my usual wheelhouse, it’s got more than enough to keep me invested. It’s such an entertaining experience. There’s amazing musicianship and well-constructed songs. Overall it is just euphonious. A great start to this year of music.
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