REALATION is a three-piece band formed in Albany, New York in 2020 that have just self-released their debut EP “What Lies Beneath” on September 1, 2023. They label themselves as “concept based Grunge Alternative metal” and explain their musical expression as “explore the vital component of the world…yourself, and of course, how your past pain and trauma effect how you deal with others.”  Their songs are very deep and thought provoking and I will highlight some of the lyrics later in this review as I am a sucker for well written songs. I had the pleasure of seeing REALATION live several weeks ago as an opening act for GLENN HUGHES and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, and believe me, they held their own amongst those two legends. They have a great chemistry on stage and deliver a powerful performance with both vocalists Vincent Lane and Steven Feliciano delivering a wonderful balance and paced by the solid drum work of  Matt Loucks. I am also part of a YouTube Podcast (Creativity Talkin) where we interviewed the three band members and they could not have been more genuine and grounded. I’m pretty sure you all know what the outcome of this review will be, but please check it out as we dig further into it.

Opening on “Not Meant for Me” with a softer, melodic riff morphing into a hardened tempo driven by dual vocals portraying a sinister overlay of a lost soul in search of his inner self. The songs musical composition bonds passionately with the soulful lyrical storyline: My heart will know what to believe, cause I cannot steal something in you not meant for me: A bad-ass beat opens up on “Selfish” before taking a step back as the bewitching dual vocal express ignites with powerful and emotional delivery driven home with soul searching lyrics: “Dancing around the half-truth, your tongue wags with falsehood as it tunnels away from what was”. So far I’m torn between what I’m enjoying more on this album so far, the dynamic vocal stylings or the perceptive songwriting, either way, its impressive as hell. “Guilt Hangover” opens with a soft, inspired tempo backed by pleasant vocals before erupting to a full throttle blast of assaulting guitar licks incorporated with hulking, edgy vocals all encompassed with stimulating lyrics: “I can’t lend a helping hand, my demon is one of rescuing, for once I know it’s not me”.

If REALATION were a baseball player, they would be labeled a “five tool player”. “What Lies Beneath” is a magnificent debut issue that delivers a grandeur balance of hard and melodic riffs all put together like a complex jigsaw puzzle, escaping into a mind-altering world of inner reflection and self-worth.