ARION hails from Helsinki Finland, one of the motherlands of Symphonic Metal. The band initially formed in 2011 but caught their big break from their participation in Finland's Eurovision song contest in 2013. They have since recorded 2 albums before their latest "Vultures Die Alone" was released in

"Out of My Life" and "I'm Here to Save You" are both solid enough songs, although the structure is pretty generic in both. They felt rather radio friendly with the familiar melodies and not many details I can point out that made it stand out. "Break My Chains" and "I Don't Fear You" have some catchy guitar hooks and some lovely orchestration folded around it, yet both also have a rebellious edge to them.

"Bloodline" features the awesome Noora from BATTLE BEAST. This one is a fun to listen to duet, they didn't try to out-sing one another and their voices were quite complimentary. I enjoyed the key work and overall whimsical atmosphere of this one. The Pop-Oriented style was just the right amount as well!  "In the Name of Love" is a sweet ballad style duet. It felt like a contemporary Hard Rock song melodically and it suited this band well honestly. "A Vulture Dies Alone" is one of their heavier tracks. I liked the bits of shred they sprinkled in, although I of course would love more. "I Love to be Your Enemy" felt almost like a Nu-Metal track with the vocal style of the verses. It somehow worked out with the dramatic orchestration and chuggy pure Metal guitar riffs. The political theme of this song came felt random, but I have no qualms against it.

"Where the Ocean Greets the Sky" is another, completely out of left field style change. It's an chill almost Folk Metal style instrumental track that really gives Iivo a chance to shine on the guitar. There's a majestic feel to this song; you can certainly visualize the sun setting into the horizon over the sea. This would have been an excellent closing track, truth be told. The actual closing track "Until Eternity Ends" works out too though. It's a quaint ballad with layered vocals and some softer string portions. It finishes the album on a 'sweet as honey' note.

Overall though, "Vultures Die Alone" is all over the damn place musically. The album opens with a break up song that's rather uninteresting with a melody much like something from AMARANTHE, then the style of music shifts and I feel like I'm listening to some early 2000s Nu-Metal, later a Rock ballad, and the Power Metal didn't pop in until later on in the album. While I don't mind bands doing some cross-genre blending, the way the songs do a complete 180 on almost every track is rather jarring. They didn't mesh, like they put the songs in a hat and drew them in the order by chance. It made it slightly difficult to listen to the album in full because of that lack of flow. The more Pop-Oriented Power Metal that's taking over many airwaves has certainly struck this album, which certainly has its charm, but gets a bit stale for me personally. The main standout songs were "Bloodline" the title track and that wonderful instrumental toward the end. It was a mere taste of what I know the band is capable of, but they've gone to the dull wayside for my tastes.