Melodic Prog Metal Band HELEVEN released their full-length album, "Into the Oceans" March 2020. After listening to this album all week I am wondering a few things. Such as who they take their influence from, as they sound like a band I just can't quite place my finger on. As well as having obvious influences from bands such as DEFTONES. The vocals take me way back to the 90's, clean vocals throughout. Lending this a Nu Metal flavor as well as definite 90's punk sounds. I feel this might not be THE album for me. However, in saying this, I would like to point out that it does not mean that they aren't talented at what they do. We all have our own tastes, truly, and all I write here is my own opinion.

"Escape Room" - This song starts out with some heavy guitar riffs. Leading into clean vocals, sounding like a track that might be on the movie Queen of the Damned. This is a melancholy song, with atmospheric trance vibes. The vocals lend a tortured soul sound to the chaotic background sounds. Chaotic, as in full bodied. "Into the Oceans" - Melodic and heavy instrumentals opens, the drum beats stand out as loud and hard here. The vocals again are clean ones, I have a hard time defining between each song based off the vocals sounding similar in each chorus. Alone, this is a decent song. But on repeat, not so much. We need different flavor for our palettes here. "Lessons Learned" - With an industrial and trance-like entry, this song opens strong. However, I find the vocal style off-putting here as well. There is many out there who like this vocal style though, like I said before. Just because the vocals aren't for me does not mean they won't be your jam. This song has definite DEFTONES sounds, and a little bit of ALICE IN CHAINS on the guitar riffs. Both very talented and well-loved bands in the past.

"Promised Land" - The opening to this song is likely my favorite on this album, the guitar riffs build up crescendo well and are enchantingly melodic. The vocals even come in differently here. We need more of this stuff!! The dreamlike lyrics invoke emotional responses well, and the song as a whole is powerful. "The Hurricane" - This song has a nice, fast beat to it, slightly industrial...just slightly. The vocal style reverts back to the same one as in the others songs that I felt was on repeat. While sung with talent. It just doesn't fit right in my opinion.

All in all, HELEVEN is a band definitely worth listening to. This album is artfully out together and the pieces fit well, even though it may not be my preferred sound. "Into the Oceans" is an emotionally written album, easily relatable to life circumstances. The instrumentals are upbeat and melodic at the same time and the vocals create emotionally charged sensations. I would like to add, as well, that their music videos are worth checking out too as they are done in cartoon style.