SEDE VACANTE were formed in 2015 by Michael Tiko. The Greek/Finnish outfit are a symphonic Metal band with cinematic and electronic elements. The Latin expression "sede vacante" is used to describe the time of an empty throne or the state of a diocese without a bishop. "Conium" is the second full-length album of the band, and it has a length of about 51 minutes. It was released via Italian label Scarlet Records, which has a number of Heavy, Power, and Thrash Metal bands among their roster.

The album starts, as expected, with a cinematic introduction. "Furia" transitions right into a heavy opening with a crunching bass line and powerful guitar riffing. "Mistaken" is a mid-tempo song driven by the guitars and the dark melodies of the verse parts. The chorus parts have lighter melodies. Prominent features are the double-bass drumming and the orchestral arrangements, pre-dominantly the brass, during the chorus parts. The vocals of Stephanie Mazor are Rock oriented, with most of the notes performed at around the medium end of the vocal range. The vocals are a focal point of the song as they are dynamic and introduce some extra darkness. "Dead New World" starts with electronic samples, tight guitar riffing, and double-bass drumming, before the vocals take over. The vocal melodies have oriental vibes during the verse parts. The chorus parts have epic melodies. "Dead New World" introduces quite a few electronic effects which support nicely the overall atmosphere of the track. The song has a few tempo breaks, most notably a higher paced part during the middle of the song. The orchestral arrangements are prominent during the chorus parts only. "Dead New World" is the official video release of the album, and the YouTube link is given below.

The title song is introduced by a short cinematic part and then it becomes a track played at a measured tempo. Michael Tiko provides vocal support for the verse parts. The chorus parts have catchy melodies and remind me a bit on DELAIN. Stephanie Mazor shows her versatility with including higher notes during the chorus and her vocal contribution is one of the highlights of the track. Another highlight is the contributing lead guitar solo. "Raindrops" starts with powerful and catchy guitar riffing. It is a mid-tempo song with the verse parts driven by the vocals and the keyboards, where the chorus parts are led by the guitars. The vocals cover again a lot of higher pitched notes, in particular during the chorus vocal lines. "Paint It Black" is introduced with the drums, vocals, and underlying keyboards and those three instruments are most dominant during the whole track. It is a very interesting and very unique cover version of the ROLLING STONES classic.

"Melancholy Bled" is perhaps the song with the most prominent electronic features. Besides the keyboards, the vocals lead the track. Stephanie Mazor uses deeper notes for the verse parts and higher notes for the chorus parts. In fact, "Melancholy Bled" is perhaps the song where her vocals are most versatile, at times very powerful, at times dark, and at times epic. "Walk On A Lie" starts with a short cinematic intro, before the mid-tempo track is led by the drums, the keyboard, and the vocals. The guitars start leading the track as the track goes on with a few heavy riffs. The most prominent orchestral contributions are the piano and the brass. Highlight is another fine lead guitar solo.

"The Bride" has a heavy and powerful start with the guitars, before it transitions into a more quiet song for the verse parts which are led by the bass, piano, and the vocals. The heavy guitar riffing returns for the chorus parts. One consistent feature of many songs on the album is that the guitars often start really contributing during the chorus parts and from the second verse parts only. "The Bride" finally finishes the track with a very strong contribution. "Wheel Of Misfortune" starts right with the chorus part led by the vocals and the orchestral contributions transitioning into the verse parts which is driven by the vocals, the drums, and the strings. The song has arguably the most prominent orchestral contributions with the strings and the piano. The guitars are hardly notable apart from a short lead guitar contribution right at the end of the track. There was still one element missing on the album and that is the ballad. "Tattoo" starts with the piano and the vocals. It is the classical ballad with another opportunity to shine for Stephanie Mazor, and she leads the song impressively until the final notes of the piano.

SEDE VACANTE deliver a very good symphonic Metal album. "Conium" is not the traditional symphonic Metal album; it uses a lot of elements from other genres. Besides the inclusion of electronic features, there are a few Power Metal and Gothic Metal elements throughout the album, which makes it unique and interesting to listen to. Highlights are the vocals of Stephanie Mazor. who excellently leads through the whole album with her versatile, powerful, expressive, and partially seductive voice. The album is well produced. SEDE VACANTE raise the bar with their sophomore album and fans of symphonic Metal should listen to "Conium" as they will love what they hear.