AVERLANCHE is Melodic Heavy Metal from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 2017, they are a female-fronted band with a mix of Power, Symphonic, and Cinematic Metal. Arctic Atlas is their second full-length album, released May 12, 2023, via JVR Agency. The album opens with an instrumental that slowly builds, preparing you for the launch of the first song. "-273.16°C" is .01 degrees colder than absolute zero, or the perfect thematic setting for an album called Arctic Atlas. It is also interesting that it runs into a song called "In The Theater Of Fire," which opens with a blazing hot riff from both the guitars and the keyboards. Rebecca's vocals are all clean and clear, spending a good amount of time in her upper ranges, but not neglecting her killer lows.

One thing AVERLANCHE does well is pair their leads. The guitar/keyboard interplay is well written and executed even better. Listening to "Heartache Parade," you get a sense that they write one to compliment the other. This is blatantly obvious when you hear the trade off during the solos. They fuse the tone and tempo extremely well, making everything sound really organic and intentional. We cannot forget the drums, though. "She & The Dark Winter" show the world that Henri is a great choice to sit the tempo throne. He sets the patterns and guides the shifts with excellent precision, keeping more than just the time. His variant phrasing does more than keep time, it augments the song in palpable ways, creating a breadth and depth to the song.

Much of this album is about showing the power the band has, that they can drive a song like a stolen racecar, but then you get "Black Butterflies' Night," an ethereal, haunting tune with a piano base and the sultry vocal tones that draw you in. the way she slides off some of the notes, lifts and lowers through a series of tones is a showcase in delicate power. The strings make the song that much more appealing as they pair beautifully with the keys/pianos.

"Atlas Of Hearts" closes the album out with a bombastic rhythm fueled by a killer guitar riff. There is a lot to love about this album; the vocals go from delicate and ethereal to powerful without any loss of tone or texture. The guitars and keyboards are woven together beautifully, playing off each other and creating a much deeper sound. The drums and bass keep the songs on track, maneuvering through the pattern changes and tempo shifts with the greatest of ease. This is one of those albums that is pure fun to listen to.