KATE NORD started her solo career in 2016. The Finnish/Italian classically trained singer and songwriter is also the lyricist of Italian band NOVERIA. "Compass To Your Heart's Desire" is a symphonic Metal album with all musicians in the line-up are also being part of NOVERIA. The album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Simone Mularoni (DEATHLESS LEGACY; ELVENKING; WE ARE LEGEND) at Dominion Studio San Marino. It has a length of about 34 minutes, and it is an independent release.

While Kate Nord mainly focused on lyric writing for NOVERIA in the past, things have shifted in recent years as she concentrates more on her solo career. It was probably the easiest thing to invite her NOVERIA bandmates to record the album, whether the constellation NOVERIA/KATE NORD will fly for touring remains to be seen in the future. The album itself is inspired by Scandinavian folk tales about trolls. "Compass To Your Heart's Desire" has a classical start. "Recitative To The Moon" is an orchestral pre-lude with the operatic vocals of Kate Nord on top of it. "All Alone" continues with the orchestral sound until eventually guitars, bass, and drums join in. It is a slow and ballad-esque song, with the orchestral arrangements dominating large parts of the song. "The Northwind And The Troll" is the first song where the attribute symphonic Metal fits the bill. The Metal instruments are, besides the vocals, the focal point and the orchestral arrangements act as support. It is a mid-tempo song with heavy and catchy riffing, where the chorus parts strongly remind me on NIGHTWISH. Highlight is clearly the vocals as Kate Nord shows her huge vocal range and her outstanding qualities as a classic singer. "The Northwind And The Troll" was put on YouTube as a visualizer and the link is given below.

"Embrace The Cold" starts with a piano part and the vocals, before the guitars and drums join in. It is a song at a measured tempo with powerful riffing. The melodies are dark and have an epic character, in particular towards the end of the track with the background vocals supporting the main vocals. It is a very short song which came a bit as a surprise to me. "Whither And Rust" starts heavy with a few Power Metal vibes in the drumming and powerful riffing. It is at least for some parts one of the fastest tracks on the album. The vocals of Kate Nord include a lot of deeper, more Rock-oriented notes and there are a lot of vocal shifts throughout the song. Highlight is the extended lead guitar solo. "Whither And Rust" is an excellent symphonic Metal track and one of the best songs on the album. "Dream Of Daylight" has a symphonic start with the vocals accompanying the orchestral arrangements. It is another slow song and as the song goes on, the guitars, bass, and drumming becomes more central alongside the vocals. There is a lot of background vocal support in this track. It is one of the few tracks with a lead guitar solo, and it is another fine contribution of the lead guitars.

The album contains a lot of slower songs and "Breathe In The Night" is one of those. Driven by the piano, drums, and vocals, it is another ballad with the vocals being the focal point of the track. The slow songs work towards the vocal strengths of Kate Nord, and she has another outstanding performance in terms of versatility, range, and, most importantly, transporting emotions to the listener. If the album is reduced to the vocals only, "Breathe In The Night" would be one of the outstanding album highlights. "Dance Of The Fairies" has a powerful start at mid-tempo and then transitions into a measured tempo with heavy and tight riffing. The guitars drive the song while the orchestral arrangements support the track more in the background. It is a song of tempo changes and there are a lot of twists in rhythm, and at times, it almost sounds like a duet of guitars and vocals. The vocal contribution is huge as there is hardly any break for the vocals throughout the track. The album finishes with "Aeternam Vale" and with another masterclass in operatic vocals. It is probably the heaviest and the darkest track on the album. The riffing is very powerful and melodies are epic. However, what sticks in mind is the huge range of the vocals.

KATE NORD delivers an album which is an exhibition of classical vocals. While the sound on the album is a good symphonic Metal sound with perhaps a bit too much emphasis on the orchestral arrangements, the overly prominent vocals define the signature sound of KATE NORD. To say that the vocals are outstanding is a minimum and does not reflect the vocal contribution fully. Kate Nord has a huge vocal range and versatility, she is leading the songs with her voice, and has a unique ability to transport emotions. All that defines "Compass To Your Heart's Desire". The album is relatively short for a symphonic Metal album, with a few songs barely exceeding the two-minute mark. The album is very well produced. KATE NORD sets a very high bar in terms of individual performance. The album overall is very promising and symphonic Metal fans can be very excited about "Compass To Your Heart's Desire".