INSIGHT hails from Chile and strives to bring back the classic Heavy/Speed Metal vibes of yore. Their first EP "Neura" took about 3 years to make (off and on) and isn't the "run of the mill" Speed Metal worship band. I was already intrigued by the fact that the songs are in their native Spanish language. I personally don't know much Spanish beyond some basics like numbers and the alphabet, colors, etc... Yet, that added some interest for me because it's a test to see how the band can break through language barriers and still create what the lyrics portray with the music itself. The results were rather fascinating; read on for my track by track highlights.

"Neura" is a pleasant intro song with some classic Heavy Metal style riffage. There was this off-putting clicking/tapping sound (I think from the drums) that kept grabbing my attention though. "Tempestad" starts immediately with some great, speedy riffs. The vocals are surprisingly on the more Thrash, borderline Punk side stylistically. The solo in this song was killer including my favorite thing in Speed Metal, dueling guitars! This song has this feeling of something building, like a massive windstorm perhaps? *and after googling a translation of the title, Storm was basically it!*. "Al Despertar" has a calm intro that leads into the song itself. The riffs and pacing are that rolling, galloping style similar to IRON MAIDEN at points. The slowed down bits with acoustic guitar throughout this song were so dream-like, in contrast to the faster parts that felt rather chaotic. "Hijos del Miedo" has some killer bass lines throughout. The melodies in this one were really catchy and a bit Thrashy; basically, early HELLOWEEN influences shine brightly in this one!

"Este donde esté" translates to "wherever you are" and is one of the slower tempo tracks on this EP. That's not to say it's not still a speedy song, because the riffs are still at frantic speeds at the solo portion. There's this unsettling feeling throughout this song that definitely makes me wish I could speak more Spanish so I could hear the lyrical story with it. "La voz del Dolor" is seemingly an earlier track, judging by the change in the mixing. The playing style is a bit more melodic than the previous songs as well. It does eventually pick up the pace midway through, but it still stands out a bit. "El grito del Silencio" and "Alter Ego" bring back in the rolling/galloping tempo that Speed Metal is made to have. There is also some cool transitional groovy portion that are pure 1980s Metal. "Denial" closes the album with a synthy ambient guitar styling. It adds in a dream-like guitar hook and guides you smoothly out of the album.

Overall, "Neura" is a cool throwback to the past. There was so much homage paid to classic Speed Metal, yet, distinctive bands they sounded like weren't as obvious. (give or take the few I mentioned of course) The galloping guitar/drum combo was used often, yet didn't feel repetitive in any way. The solos were short and sweet, I honestly wouldn't have minded if they went on for longer. The vocals were interesting too... I hope the band is able to find another vocalist who takes on this similar vocal style because it was fitting with the music they're making. I think my only conflict was not being able to understand the lyrics and the music wasn't always helpful in portraying what the songs are about. I could get the gist in a couple of songs, but most I was left just bobbing my head along and listening to everything else. At the same time, I applaud them for choosing to write in their native language because it does seem to flow really well with their style. INSIGHT in general carries a lot of potential; I hope they are able to find the replacement members they need to continue this interesting musical endeavor.