What is it that lies in our future...and will it ever tell the truth?

Contemplating one's existence is a harrowing ordeal. When one comes to the realisation that we are no more than particles in an endless - and uncertain - universe, the mind unlocks and the darkness wraps its tongues around the core. And then we stare into the starry storms within the sky and try to calculate a reason for this ubiquitous melancholy.

Metal has a very particular ability in comparison to other music genres; it has the aptitude to truly become at one with a given concept. The sounds entangle with the subject matter and the dark, sombre sentiments work their emotional magic to make the visions come alive...becoming a window into the unknown. And when it comes to achieving such a twistingly revelatory musical blend, Melodic Death Metal certainly creates for a very broad canvas. It is powerful, dark and frighteningly intriguing - much like the secrets of our being - and on their self-titled debut, the Italian Folk-influenced Melodeath quartet STORM OF PARTICLES invite you to watch the 'big bang' as they demonstrate a cosmic potential to transcend the metaphysics.

Time is of the essence here, for at only four songs and an intro this record's gloomy spark doesn't get a lot of time to shine. However, it is perhaps this exact factor of a limited runtime that makes STORM OF PARTICLES submit themselves in full to each track. Following the introductory "The Storm Approaches" - an epic intro and a fulsome track in its own right - the band goes strong with "Sun's Rising in the Fog", a heavy, tumbling Melodeath standard that combines the melodic sensibilities of DARK TRANQUILITY with the weight of a ton of bricks. This is also where we first get a taste Giacomo Biondelli's and Matteo Anselmi's tasteful guitar work, which swarms the verses with progressive tapping backdrops and laces the choruses with magical arpeggios, before finishing the song off with a blistering solo.

Up next we are treated to "Everlasting", which is a dormant supernova that awakens to explosions of fearsome Death Metal in between interludes of clean melodic lines and a surreal dream of crazed string sweeping. Following the bliss of the latter track the planets collide and "Aurora" is born, shattering the earth with a slow grind interwoven with neo-classical guitar runs. The album then culminates its universal contemplations with "Silence Screams", a Melodeath epic of astute guitars, brilliant evocative melodies and plenty of dark matter. The latter assembles all of the band's strengths and investments to deliver a finely crafted piece with hints of genre veterans like KALMAH and modern elements of Post-Metal movements.

The production is this record's only downfall. Whilst the raw sound has an independent underground charm to it, the musty production values hinder this album from achieving the scopes that it sets out for; perhaps once the band gets taken under a wing of some record label their sound will truly soar. And they most certainly should, for this is a collective of truly fine musicians. Whilst their performances may be a touch stiff on this first outing, they nonetheless demonstrate some compelling musicianship - be it the phenomenal guitar work, the perfect rhythm of Lorenzo Pavesi's heavy-handed drums or Letizia Tuccia's delectably gritty bass work (that tone is incredible).

Overall - STORM OF PARTICLES are self-aware and ready for whatever the universe may bring - for they themselves are sure to alter it. "Strom Of Particles" pays homage to intelligent Melodic Death Metal theories whilst working on its own solutions. This record is accessible, enlightened and elementally pure. If this is where the future of the genre is headed, then it is on the right track.