From their Bandcamp page, "The groundbreaking album will lead a listener through beautiful melodies, heavy riffs and bombastic atmosphere. R.O.D has already released five singles from their upcoming debut and gathered positive feedback and the band guarantees that 28th of May won't disappoint the listeners. The themes of the songs are sailing through present world problems such as Ukrainian war, pandemic and humanity itself. The album contains nine tracks.

"Blood Moon" is the first cut. It has a heavy sound with that familiar Power Metal gallop in the drums. The vocals are of course clean, but Jesse has a little rasp in his voice. A key change leads into the guitar solo, which is very well done. "Final Light" sports a little IRON MAIDEN influence in the opening sequence. The backing music is full, and you can hear the bass galloping behind the riff and keys. "New Dawn" is more thoughtful, and emotional, but also more dark in nature. This mid-tempo rocker features a big, full chorus and a firey guitar solo. "Mastermind" begins with some orchestration before the main riff takes over. This dark and intense song is better than the previous three, and the band seems to be hitting their stride on the album. Thick, harsh vocals come in for a spell before the guitar solo, and I like their addition.

"Mankind's Bequest" also opens with orchestration that is quite charming. I love the bass work in this track, and the album keeps getting better. Some thoughtful songwriting went into this song. The band flexes their instrumental prowess as well. "Gaze Upon the Stars" begins with some guitar harmonies and some varied vocal styles. Another key change is handled confidently by the band leading into the dazzling guitar solo. "Northern Stars" features a slower sound that is enhanced by the poignant vocals. The instrumentation remains hardened underneath, which provides that trademark sound of the style. For the second verse, thundering sounds from the bass and drums pick up, and it ends with more of that poignant sound. "Silvery Fields" is another slower number that rings high with emotion. Layered vocals add more richness to the sound.

"From Shadows We Rise" closes the album with a final battle cry. It opens with some orchestration and some raucous instrumentation. The vocals are fully longing here, as the message of hope is advanced forward. Overall, this was a good album that seemed to get better as it moved along. The band is adept at creating solid melodies over a bed of rich instruments, and the singer has the perfect voice for the music. This is band I would keep an eye on, as they just need one more piece to propel them forward.