After the German quartet RETERNITY was founded in summer of 2018, they were able to release a rather emphatic introduction with their "Demo 2018" which was released in autumn of the same year. Nearly a year after that, they are now proudly presenting their debut full-length record, "Facing the Demon". RETERNITY's brand of power metal is kind of unique compared to the majority of power metal bands in Europe. Their sound is anchored to power metal, but they also have lots of other influences like hard rock, speed metal, and thrash metal. All of those elements combined together create strong and hooking melodies, which is primarily what you get with "Facing the Demon".

You will be welcomed with an acoustic beauty of an intro with "Strings of Sor I: Sunset". From there on, you'll be treated with an all-out display of highly melodic tracks starting with "Last Days of War" which is remarkable for its grunge(ish) chops combined with an overall power metal atmosphere. "Tomorrow's History" is a true epic, boasting big and anthemic choruses accompanied by old school speed metal riffs. "Reternity II" is a short passage before the much more minimalist "I Love the Night". The song is catchy, and it does a great job in keeping the vibe alive even if it is not so high on energy. The only downside you can see here is the rather mediocre lyricism. Meanwhile, title track "Facing the Demon" can be considered as the band's classic, showing everything they are all about. Stefan's raw vocals create so much "live" feel to the song.

Combine that with their powerful riffs and pace-dictating drums and what you'll get is a flawless hybrid of aggression and sophistication. The title track also somewhat served as a passage to a more exciting set of tracks. "Singularity" and "Suicide Butterflies" are especially notable for its strong beat and crunchy riffs, with "Suicide Butterflies" being the darker and heavier one in every aspect. "Stone to the Mouth" opens with a surprise female vocals before unleashing a total beat down upon the listener. "Strings of Sor II: Sundown" puts a strong finish to the album by simply keeping up with the pace set by the earlier mentioned songs and bragging its own strong appeal.

If you are looking for an album that contains classic raw sounds but has its own identity, this album is the right one for you. The energy of the tracks might not be sky-high, but it does more than enough to keep your head banging the entire playtime. Watch out for this album, out May 31, 2019.