There have been some bands recently that have been offering up a brand of Melodic Heavy Metal that is bursting at the seams with progressive expansion and influences from far and wide. Little known to me before listening to "The Earth Embraces Us All", TEMPERANCE are another such band. One listen to the opening song "A Thousand Places" and I became sure that this band were going to prove as adventurous as I had hoped. Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, jazz, folk...all this and more was available within the six-minute opener alone.

Onwards to "At The Edge Of Space" and the listener will be in for a folk-tinged treat that also has a rhythm and melody that is reminiscent of some musical theatre. There's a showmanship to the compositional style of TEMPERANCE that makes it no surprise that they have opened for NIGHTWISH in their time. The joyfulness of the track is bound to put a smile on all but the most cynical of faces. Singer Chiara Tricarico is a wonderful singer that is only elevated by her sometimes whimsical interplay with the powerful vocals of Marco Pastorino.

"Empty Lines" has a beginning that combines electronica and guitar solos into a stupendously catchy DRAGONFORCE meets AMARANTHE sound before Chiara shows some more power in her frankly gorgeous vocals. "Mashere" brings the spirit of the band's homeland right into the forefront; sung entirely in Italian, it may require some of us to find translations but it's a wholly charming song that will lead the listener to wonder if this band can do any wrong! Move on to the modern Power Metal meets Thrash tendencies of "Haze" and you will begin to take these Italians as a very serious prospect for the future of Melodic Metal. The originality presented by a track like this, which will make you headbang just as much as it will make you sing along, is astounding for 2016. Then throw in the feel-good sway of "Fragments Of Life", a ballad that doesn't shirk on Metal's spine-tingling power. There's an element of a more life-affirming DELAIN to this band when they are able to write a song like this.

We later follow TEMPERANCE through the looking glass with "Advice From A Caterpillar", a wonderful lyrical take on the Alice In Wonderland story, which will transport each and every one of us to our fondest childhood memories before Marco blows any ideas of limitations for this band out of the water as he gives a vocal performance worthy of Rob Halford or Bruce Dickinson at their best. It's awe-inspiring stuff that comes together in this beautiful tapestry of a song. The saxophone solo is merely an added bonus that will seal the deal as you fall in love with TEMPERANCE once and for all. Seriously; there's not much left to say in summation of this outstanding record. I tried to fault it, trust me. It's not possible. TEMPERANCE have just shown us that Melodic Metal can be just as exciting as anything else in 2016, despite what many have believed before now.