The Future, Tonight
Neonfly
There are some occasions that an album can defy many of our expectations and be better than what we thing about it at first sight, even in a time we all live in a flood of infinite releases being done simultaneously. And these very good surprises fill our hearts with joy, as in the moment you find a precious jewel. This is the case of "The Future, Tonight", the latest album of the British quartet NEONFLY. Their musical work could be described as modern and melodic form of Heavy/Power Metal, but done in an extreme personal form due the singular approach used. It's melodic and tender that can hook the fans in the early hearings, but has a massive and modern weight filling its melodies, and an amazing appeal (reinforced by the use of very good orchestrations and keyboards parts). Yes, the words aren't enough to describe how good "The Future, Tonight" is.
Romesh Dodangoda, the Grammy award winning producer who worked previously with BRING ME THE HORIZON and MOTÖRHEAD, is the one behind the construction of the sonority of "The Future, Tonight". The result is perfection made sound, being modern, aggressive and clean in a way that's rare to hear. And as guests Miro Rodenberg (of AVANTASIA and KAMELOT) made the orchestrations and keyboards arrangements, and "The Future, Tonight" features Björn 'Speed' Strid (yes, the same one from SOILWORK and THE NIGHTFLIGHT ORCHESTRA) on vocals, and Kaan Tasan on vocals on "Another Eden" and "Steal the World". And the painting of the Korean artist Gyeong Hwan Noh "Noma" fits on what the album expresses.
Musically, well...the best is to say that the ten songs of the album are really excellent, and the melodic appeal of "This World is Burning" and "Last of Our Kind" (both with excellent vocals and a charming melodic appeal, especially during the choruses), the tender introspective insight used on some moments of "Flesh and Blood" and "The Future, Tonight" (the good and solid work from bass guitar improves the musical weight of both songs, with some nasty grunts on the latest one), "Another Eden" (a modern and melodic ambience comes from the guitars, along with a very accessible energy), and "Final Warning" are the better ones for a first time on the album.
Maybe in the hard time that we all are living, when the commercial growth is a prisoner of the past (just older bands have public, maybe fear of finding something better than the mummified bands that are living off their pasts), NEONFLY couldn't get where the quartet deserves to be. But it doesn't mean that their efforts to make a great album as "The Future, Tonight" are a loss of time. The winner, in the end of all, are the listeners.
10 / 10
Masterpiece
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"The Future, Tonight" Track-listing:
1. This World is Burning
2. Last of Our Kind
3. Flesh and Blood
4. The Future, Tonight
5. Beating Hearts
6. More than a Lifetime
7. Another Eden
8. Steal the World
9. Final Warning
10. The Things We Left Behind (and the Things that Slipped Away)
Neonfly Lineup:
Willy Norton - Vocals
Frederick Thunder - Guitars
Paul Miller - Bass
Declan Brown - Drums
More results...