JUST REBORN hailing from Italy were formed in 2021. The symphonic Metal outfit release their debut full-length album. “Formae Mentis” has a length of more than 52 minutes. It is an independent release. The album starts with a tension-building and symphonic 90-seconds intro, being released into “Dreams Of Euphoria”, which is a fast melodic song with powerful guitar riffs. The melodies have a lot of classical inspirations, which becomes most evident through the keyboard contributions. The vocals are clean and vary between the medium and higher end of the vocal range with a few operatic parts being included. Timo Tollki played the lead guitar in that song and the solo is the ultimate highlight of the track. “Dreams Of Euphoria” has been released as lyric video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Strong On My Own” slows a bit down, however, it is a darker and heavier track. It is driven by heavy guitar riffing and strong basslines. There are a few Power Metal vibes with a lot of double-bass contributions. Orchestrations are hardly notable, and the vocals use a full range of deeper and high operatic notes. Additional male growling vocals are added, and they contribute to the darkness of the track. “Imago Animi” starts with classical inspired melodies delivered by the guitars and supported by the choir, leading into a faster verse part, driven forward by the female vocals. The bridge adds growls again leading into the chorus part with catchy melodies. The orchestrations are kept to a minimum apart from the choir and the brass towards the end. There are some Power Metal vibes present throughout the track again.

After a short orchestral interlude, the album continues with the neo-classical inspired “Alter Ego”. It is a track at a measured tempo, and it is another dark track with melancholic melodies. The female vocals use many deeper notes, and there is a significant growling vocal contribution. As the track goes on, the orchestral arrangements become mor prominent with the brass and the piano leading the charge. “Lonely Souls Lullaby” starts with a neo-classical acoustic guitar play supported by the orchestra and the vocals. It is the album ballad, which becomes more and more powerful with the electric guitars, the drums, and the brass joining in. At the end, it all circles back to the acoustic guitars, the piano, strings, and the vocals. “Brain Fag” continues with the quiet sound, and it starts again with the acoustic guitars and the vocals. It slowly develops into a track with thunderous guitar riffing accompanied by the orchestral arrangements. On top of it are the vocals, who deliver a versatile performance of different vocal styles. Besides the vocals, the contributing lead guitar solo is of note, which gives the track an extra dimension. “Brain Fag” has many non-Metal vibes, and most notable are the Jazz inspirations. “Cannonball” increases heaviness with powerful riffs and strong basslines at a measured tempo. The orchestral arrangements are prominent with the strings and the brass being the main contributors. This all is kept very well together by vocalist Monica Bisquadro, with her mixture of Rock oriented and classical inspired vocal notes.

“Cynical Lies” starts with a short guitar solo, transitioning into a mid-tempo verse part with thunderous guitar riffing and crunching basslines. There are abrupt twists in tempo and rhythm as there is an alternation of the heavy mid-tempo parts and slow and quiet parts driven by the strings and vocals. The vocals again play a key role in this track with a mixture of both Rock and classical vocals being utilized. Often, the female vocals come multi-voiced, which gives the vocal contribution an additional layer. “Ad Aspera” starts with the lead guitars introducing the main melodic framework. It is a track at a measured tempo during the verse parts and mid-tempo during the choruses. There is a lot of double-bass present throughout the track. The orchestral contributions are led by the brass. It is one of those tracks with Power Metal vibes, however, the melodies have always the classical inspirations. “Don`t Hurt My Soul” is a mid-tempo track with a few subtle tempo twists in either direction. The orchestral arrangements are more in the background during the beginning but become more prominent as the track goes on with the strings, the brass, the piano, and the choir, all contributing. The highlight of the track is the extended lead guitar solo. The album closes with the orchestral driven outro.

The debut album of JUST REBORN is an interesting one. Symphonic Metal is a wide genre and covers everything with at least a trace of orchestral arrangements. “Formae Mentis” is different as the whole album is not only “symphonic”, but it also has a strong classical/neo-classical melodical basis. The classical vibes and melodies are always present, even if they are in the background at times. This makes the album somehow unique and separates them from most symphonic Metal albums. The key of composing such an album is vocalist Monica Bisquadro, who has the capability of performing various styles and who has the versatility and vocal range to perform Metal and operatic songs. The album is well produced. It is still early days for JUST REBORN, but “Formae Mentis” is a very promising release and symphonic Metal fans surely will like what they hear.