There are a lot of great bands coming out of Italy these days, especially female fronted like GODYVA the Alternative Rock / Gothic Metal band that releases recently "Alien Heart" through Southern Brigade Records / Scarlet Records. The name GODYVA inspired from the Saxon legend of the beautiful Lady Godiva that rode naked, covered only by her long hair, for the roads of Coventry, The Y inserted in their moniker has been taken by her original name Godgyfu that means "God's Gift".

Musically, this band has all the assets to please me although I'm not a fan of female vocals but this combo enrich their music with different influences, mixing some interesting ingredients that makes "Alien Heart" much more than a traditional Gothic Metal album. The lyrics are less dark and pessimistic than we are used to hear in this genre, but are undoubtedly one of the most important points to the band and in general is full of strength, darkness and light thus creating a kind of theatrical ambiance and the theme apocalypse is addressed several time in this album that adds dense and majestic, a fine power that exudes femininity, feverish passion and above all, dark and magnetic elegance.

Songs like "Apocalypse of Fire I&II", "My Earliest Memories" and "I Stay Here" are the nice sample of variety of sound and strong symphonic and electronic / new age harmony and highlights from their new spices, even though some arrangements also show a progressive trend, disguised under the heavy riffs of guitarist G.G. Gohm and some truly epic keyboards of Botys Beezart, unlike "In Your Eyes" is very calm and classic ballad where you can feel the gravity of euphoric keyboards, whispers of Lady Godyva's angelic voice and gradually comes the emotional tuned guitar that intoned magic to your ears. Enduringly, the beginning of "Everything Is Over" has Nick Barah's bewitched touch of bass guitar along with the straggle between feminine and masculine voice also akin in the eponym title "Alien Heart".

Well, is needless to say how awesome the album is which take us on path by surly and smoothed turns for melancholic pleasure where brilliant six-string solos are noted four stars. Its long voyage to apocalypse certainly reminds you of LACUNA COIL's early years and dark "Dark Temptation"'s first albums, really! And that comes from a person who is not a gothic metal fan. The spring is coming and this album suits this season perfectly.