Sometimes, people go further in hardening Metal genres. Some think that Black Metal is all about the Devil, Power Metal and Symphonic Metal are about the "Lord of the Rings" universe, and others. No, to create such hard conceptions is a mistake, because it narrows the way to creativity. No one must be forced to follow a way determined by others, because it's a fallacy, a gross mistake. And maybe to break some conceptions, Italian quartet APOSTOLICA is here to preach liberty on "Haeretica Ecclesia", their first album.

The quartet plays a form of Symphonic Metal that isn't conventional, because the focus is to do something with a strong anticlerical feeling as a main concept, and sometimes can be seen as an opposition to the suffocating grasp religions impose to mankind. So it sounds epic and with fine instrumental technique, but it's somber and really intense. Their music is filled with energy, personality and different insight, and things are really interesting (one feature that calls the attention: they use names of biblical prophets, so it means that their preaching is against the historical abuses of Christianity). The sonority of "Haeretica Ecclesia" is very good, allowing the quartet to express their musical ideas clearly, without creating a fuzzy sound mass (especially because Symphonic Metal deals with many orchestrations). It's a very good result, but it could be better, because the grandiosity of their music demands such a thing.

Musically, the album is full of rhythmic variations and rich ambiences, what makes listening to it very easy to deal with. But for a first time on their work (what is hard, because it's their first album), the best ones are "Sanctus Spiritus" (a very good and melodic song, enriched by the non-usual tunes of the vocals and the Gregorian chants), the catchy and grandiose melodic appeal of "The Sword of Sorrow" (this one is nearer Symphonic Power Metal way, with very good arrangements on guitars and keyboards), the darkened symphonic appeal of "Come with Us" and of "Thanatos", the darkened grandiosity of "Pollution is My Name" and "No More Place in Hell", the melancholic sadness exposed on the harmonies of "The Doom", "Famine" and the appeal expressed by bass guitar and drums on its solid playing, and the symphonic embodiment given to "The Dusk is Coming" and "Redemption" (the ability of using modern tuned guitars arrangements and riffs is really amazing). As all the tracks have a lot of to say, the best is to have in mind that this album is a homogeneous work.

Obviously. APOSTOLICA can evolve more and more, but for now, the four prophets are calling you to awaken from a blind slumber, so listen to their teachings on "Haeretica Ecclesia". You won't regret the experience!