LAST DAYS OF EDEN are a symphonic folk power metal outfit formed in Spain, in 2011. This is their third full-length record, entitled "Chrysalis", released through Pride and Joy Music on March 23^rd, 2018. It consists of 11 tracks and 54:53 minutes of music. The opening track "Forevermore" has some powerful string and keyboard arrangements that show off a great deal of depth. It has a hint of choirs and is the first instance of the female vocals of Lady Ani, who at times reminds me a bit of Floor Jansen. The intro packs a punch that is for certain. This leads us to "The Roots of Life" that has some nice spoken-word effects in the female vocals. I specify that because this track also contains some well-performed male vocals as well from Dani G. The mix of both types is very well done here. The folk side of the band is also well-represented at the start with some flutes and whistles.

"The Wanderer" has an atmosphere that is somewhere between NIGHTWISH and ENSIFERUM matching the emotion of the opera-based metal band with the medieval side of the latter. The vocals are also much smoother here than the previous songs. "Dead Man's Tale", has much faster riffing, and punchy keyboards this time around (think ANDRE ANDERSEN), the rhythm guitars play a key role here and the overall feel of the song is much power metal, with additional iron sounds heard in the background. The keyboard solos are center stage more here than any other song on the album. "The Storyteller" hits the listener with an immediate metal riff and blistering symphonies and transitions into a much slower pace, with groovy bass lines, subtle violins and a very strong chorus. The medieval-type melodies here are mixed well in between the guitars and the keyboards.

"Falling in the Deep" is a mellow, ballad-like track that could have easily found its way into a Game of Thrones episode. A music video was also made for this track and with good reason, it is a very catchy track with very passionate vocals. "Aedea's Daughter" is the longest track of the album and it builds its tempo very well, going from a musical box intro matched with piano to strong orchestration and even loud double-bass passages. This is the most powerful song on the album that has a tinge of everything to satisfy fans of opera/folk metal. "A Siren's Song" has a very Scottish feel to it (yes you can think of Braveheart), with the use of bagpipes and acoustic guitars. It's a nice change of pace this deep into the album.

"Heading for the Sun" has the most memorable chorus of the album, followed by "Romeo & Julian", the pure ballad that definitely knows how to convey the feelings of sadness, loneliness and love. Whereas the final track "7 Years of Madness" is a juggernaut of energy akin to the intense feel of KALMAH or the faster songs of ENSIFERUM. Overall, in a genre that knocked down barriers over 20 years ago and in a time where this type of music has difficulty innovating and breaking through, the album does have enough fresh material here to fathom the most hardcore opera and folk metal fans around the world.