METEORA hailing from Budapest, Hungary were formed in 2010. The symphonic Metal band released three full-length albums and one EP so far. Their second EP “In This Silence” has a length of about 18 minutes, and it was released via Hungarian Metal specialists H-Music. The EP starts with the title track, and it begins with an instrumental pre-lude driven by the guitars leading into a verse part at mid-tempo with powerful guitar riffs. The guitars are supported by orchestral arrangements in the background with the strings and brass being most prominent. All that leads to dark melodies throughout the track. The female vocals are clean and vary between the medium to higher end of the vocal range. There is a lot of male vocal support with both clean and growling vocals. The chorus parts are slightly faster than the verse parts. The break offers a piano solo accompanied by the guitar riffs. “In This Silence” is a good opening track, but what sticks out most are the grim melodies of the song. “Rebirth” starts with the orchestral arrangements driven by the strings, leading into a fast verse part with thunderous guitar riffing. The track is crushing with pace, short blast-beat attacks, and growling vocals, which are around the medium end of the guttural range. The growls fit extremely well to the angelic female vocals of Hollo Noemi, in particular when they perform a duet during the choruses. One of the highlights of the track is the contributing lead guitar solo. “Rebirth” is one of the best songs on the EP.

“Free” has a quiet beginning, but it does not take long when the growls take over for the first part. The melodies during the verse parts have a few Folk Metal vibes. The bridges and the choruses are driven by the female vocals and almost easy-to-listen melodies. The orchestral arrangements are prominent during the whole track, with the strings being in the focus. The break offers more heaviness with thunderous guitar riffs and growls. “Free” is a two-parted track, a beauty-and-the-beast approach, and it works well as both vocalists are very versatile in their performances. The song is the official video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Ghosts” starts with the piano and the female vocals. It is a slow song, where Hollo Noemi also utilizes some deeper notes. The song is written for her to shine, and she grabs the opportunity with her versatility, her vocal range, and her ability to transport emotions. It is the ballad of the EP and as the song goes on, more players contribute: the strings, the guitars, bass, and drums. The melodies are dark with some traces of melancholy. As for most ballads, a contributing lead guitar solo is part of it, however, it is the ballad for the vocals and the piano and the latter one has the last word.

METEORA deliver a good symphonic Metal release. “In This Silence” offers a wide range of symphonic Metal songs, ranging from crushing fast tracks with Death Metal vibes to more easy-to-listen tracks. It is all driven by the versatility of both, the female and male vocalists as well as by the smart use of orchestral arrangements. The EP is well produced. Fans of symphonic Metal, who are open for genre twists, will love the songs on “In This Silence”.