JADED STAR is a multi-dimensional band out of Athens, Greece. Formed in 2013, this is a heavy/power/melodic metal band that moves through and between genres with relative ease and definite skill. "Realign" is their second full-length album. Released on November 6, 2020 through Noble Demon Records, it is sure to please a broad audience due to the mixture of tones and compositions present on the record.

Kicking the record off is the heavy textured song "Female Fronted". You get a short intro from a variety of muted instruments before a quick drum kick sets up the guitars to power through. Then the instruments drop out largely and the vocals take over. With their take on trying to convince you that it doesn't matter if it's a woman or a man behind the mic stand and that JADED STAR is here to stay, they drive the point home by wrapping that in a cool riff with rising and falling instrumentation.

"A Pain All Mine" is a more complex, layered song highlighting a more melodic tone. Not to fear though, there is a powerful chorus with plenty of attitude and aggression. This mix of Power and Melodic Metals is a cool alloy that not many bands can pull off. "Maybe" is another example of this type of composition, but has less heavy and more melodic.

Ramping back up, "Adrian" has that heavy riff right from the start and really never lets up. Staying in the heavy realm, this song lets me know JADED STAR are not going to satisfied with mastering just one sound or tone. "Children Of Chaos" is back to variable speeds and sounds. Again, this is a really good song with a chantable chorus and bridge that really has a down-tuned feel, offset by a keyboard piece that lightens the tone without negating the heavy feel.

"We're The Heroes (A Song For Us)" has a choppy rhythm that features backing vocals that augment the lead. The chorus goes up in tone on the guitars and vocals. A noticeable change that fits the song well. "Vertigo" then goes back to the heavier tones for the instrumental parts and drops into the subdued tones to highlight the vocals again. The chorus is where the two worlds meet and set the listener back in their chair.

My personal favorite on this record is the closing track, "Higher Than Love". Starting with a very subdued tone and an ethereal layering of softer instrumentation, the vocals are restrained until partway through the chorus. Then everything kicks in. The riff gets heavy, the vocals go into power mode and the rhythm section really ramps up to meet the challenge.

"Higher Than Love" is the song that features everything there is to like about this band, the interchange between the melodic, power and heavy metal influences, the ability of the vocalist to lay low or soar to dizzying heights, and the best guitar solo on the entire disc. There is a lot to like about this band and this record.

The song writing is very good on this record. The skill of the musicians is ever present. This is not a group of amateurs bashing out a record with their buddy producing it. This is a slick, polished effort done by a group of seasoned veterans. Well-produced and mixed, everything is well-executed and fun to listen to. Greece is well represented on the metal scene by JADED STAR and should be proud of their creative forces.