From their record label’s website, “NEVBORN is a progressive metal band from Western Switzerland. Their music is distinctive due to its narrative style, akin to a movie soundtrack. The band's journey began with the release of "Five Horizons" in 2015, which was warmly received by critics and encouraged us to push our creative boundaries. In 2017, they ventured into new territory with "Daídalos," a one-song EP lasting almost 20 minutes, featuring Loïc Rossetti. Despite initial fears about its length, it was met with critical acclaim, marking a turning point in our compositional approach. The band began to craft it's music as a compilation of chapters, weaving long and intricate stories. In 2023, Nevborn embarked an ambitious project: a trilogy based on the Twelve Labors of Heracles.”

The album has four songs, and “Elis” is first, and it’s a 14-minute opus. It takes until the four- minute mark before enough sonority comes in, and it’s gentle, smooth, and somber at first. From there, emotions start to swell, slowly, and eventually, lash out in anger and rage with harsh vocals. It stays in this charged state for many minutes to come, and it’s almost as if you have run out of things to scream about, and then you are silent once more. “Stymphalia” is another lengthy offering, and tense, ambient tones open the song. Then, in come the melodies, in a kaleidoscope of various colors and textures. The structure of the song is very warm, and inviting, and still emotionally charged, and it has a bite that would land you in a hospital if not treated right away.

“Knossos” is song that seems to carry me away from my burdens and opens up doors of possibilities at first, but the anger that emerges is like a caged tiger than was let out who hasn’t eaten in days. The bass notes rumble with earthquake like effects, and the song hangs in the delicate balance between good and evil. The sax notes are smooth however, as are the clean vocals, and their ability to sooth is almost divine. Rounding the ¾ mark, it crescendos into a sea of emotion, some despair, and some anger. “Tiridia” closes the album, and it has a great balance between absolute hatred and rage, and moments of true despair. Although the first half of the song has a lot of sharp angles, the middle of the song has a gentle feeling that is colored with deep tinges of darkness. It beguiles the listener to drop everything and follow their path.

Some bands evolve, some bands experiment, and some bands lose themselves chasing something new. Above all, NEVBORN hold true to their most prized tenets. They don’t just continue their legacy—they fortify it, carving their signature sound even deeper. There are flashes of experimentation, sure—a subtle shift in tone here, an unexpected arrangement there—but never at the expense of what makes them who they are.  In a landscape where so many artists stray from their roots in search of something "new," they prove that the truest path forward is often the one you’ve been walking all along. “Alkaios Part II – The Eagle” isn’t just another chapter in their story—it’s a reaffirmation of everything that made them great in the first place.