From her website, “The ocean is as contradictory as it is mysterious. On one hand, it is deep, dangerous, and pitch-black, with parts that remain unexplored, while folklore and mythology fill it with sea monsters like kraken, giant squids, and deadly alluring creatures like sirens or mermaids. On the other hand, it can be calm and quiet, offering silent caves and sheltering shores, populated by beautiful beings and fascinating flora. Metaphorically, the ocean reflects the multiplicity of human emotions and experiences. It is this thematic richness that symphonic metal mermaid and talented singer-songwriter TALIA HOIT has drawn inspiration from for her upcoming album, “Oceans.”

The album has ten songs, and “Castaway” is first. Keyboards and simulated strings lead off the song, followed by a hardened riff, and Talia’s vocals, which are mostly gentle but powerful when they need to be. “Unanchored” is slower, and has a distinctive groove, along with some traditional folk instruments. “Beautiful” is more pensive and features a good combination of meaty bass notes to go along with the keyboards. The chorus is catchy, but the album is flirting dangerously with being overly formulated. “Stolen” begins with mysterious tones, and it’s a gentle ride from there, with some occasional vocal and guitar peaks. I just noticed that the more I listen to her voice, the more it enchants me.

“VastDeep” has that familiar gallop of Power Metal fueling it. Power Metal and Symphonic Metal are very close to one another so either style works in this case. The song however is fairly forgettable. “Island of Hope” has a lot of keyboards and piano, and I love both. It also has a longing quality to it, keeping the listener waiting for what might come next. “Significance” closes the album, and it might be the heaviest offering on the album, melding strings with firm guitar riffs. There is another catchy chorus, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t somewhat relieved that the album is over. It’s not bad per se, but it needs some work.

The best part about the album is Talia’s voice. It is gentle, strong when it needs to be, and she has a near perfect pitch. I also like the concept that the album is centered around. Some areas of constructive criticism center mostly around the overuse of this style of music. It has been done so many times that in today’s market, you need to change whatever pieces you can to keep it sounding original. In this case, it is just overly formulated…almost a “symphonic metal by the numbers” type of sound.