VELKHANOS is a Melodic Death/Black Metal band formed in Spain in 2018. The release their debut EP titled "The Eye of God" in 2018. Now, they are back with their debut full-length, which contains ten tracks. The mood-setting instrumental "In Absentia Dei" opens the album, with piano and symphonic elements, and a feeling of the supernatural. It segues into "Bring me the Fire." This song opens with a raucous energy and the steady gallop of drums. It moves quickly, with plenty of nice lead guitar work. Clean female vocals temper the harsh vocals for just a moment. An ambient passage follows the second chorus, then the original sound returns.

"Black Omen" opens with a slightly slower pace and some more of that fine lead guitar work. When the harsh vocals kick in, the drums work overtime to keep up. The rhythms almost remind me of what you might hear in the Power Metal genre, but the clean female vocals are operatic, and it is clear that this band is talented from top to bottom. "Dagon" opens with soft clean guitars and when the distorted ones drop, it's a mid-tempo pace with plenty of melodies. This time, clean vocals lead the charge, with harsh vocals added in the chorus. The lead guitar work is again fantastic.

"The Wrath" begins with softer tones but then the harsh vocals come in strong. The clean vocals provide some relief from the heavy and aggressive tones, and augment the song nicely. "Vulcano" opens with a heavy guitar riff and another galloping pace. Female vocals lead once again, and are augmented with the harsh vocals. It's dark and gathers energy from the dazzling lead guitar work. "The Last Day" is at first slower in pace, with a commanding riff and clean vocals out of the gate. Then comes the drums and the harsh vocals, like a freight train out of control. A key change ushers in a new sound. "Moloch" is a shorter song that opens with a series of open note attacks before harmonized guitars join the fold. The lead guitars usher in some of the melodies before the clean vocals some in. The combination of clean and harsh vocals works very well here.

"The Eye of God" is over six-minutes in length, opening slowly, with bell strikes and some light chanting. Then the main riff hits and it's off and running. Clean vocals are soon joined by harsh vocals and more chanting. The lead guitarist is lightning fast on the fretboard. "Capricho Arabe" closes the album...a short three-minute cool down with acoustical guitars. It's both pensive and thoughtful, as the lead guitar echoes the acoustical guitars here.

Overall, I really enjoyed the album. The fierce combination of clean female vocals with ultra-harsh male vocals showcases the versatility of the band. The lead guitarist showcases their musicianship, which is strong from top to bottom. They are able to build enough diverse elements into their music to keep it interesting as well. I have a feeling that this young band is just getting started in their craft, so keep an eye out for their next release. With a little more time together, it is sure to be a real firecracker!