VEONITY is a symphonic metal band straight from Sweden releasing their fifth studio album. As power metal bands go, they're solid. There's nothing horrible about their playing; my ears aren't about to bleed after listening to track after track. That said, as someone who's listened to acts like BLIND GUARDIAN, RHAPSODY, and SONATA ARCTICA since dinosaurs roamed the earth, it sounds a little same-old for my taste. If that's your jam, you'll like this album. It's well produced with some great musicianship behind it. To me, it's not terribly memorable; if you've heard this style before, there's some wow factor, but not much.

"Broken," the piano opening of the album establishes a gothic, melancholy sound. However, the album doesn't really follow this. When "Graced Or Damned" hits, it's full of more electronic symphonics than I expected, including a high-pitched electric guitar that soars above everything else. That's followed by some videogame symphonics which I find a little annoying. However, when the vocals come in, I enjoy the track more. There are a couple points that are more miss than hit, but in general, the vocals improve the song.

The vocals in "Back In To The Dark" are solid. There are a couple times where it sounds like the vocalist cracks, but other than that, there's good control of his voice when he tries to sing operatically. Instrumentally, they sound like RHAPSODY, especially during the refrain. In fact, they sound like the aforementioned band on their next two songs. "Acceptance" has a grittier edge in the beginning and downplayed symphonics. The edginess works with the vocal style and breaks up the symphonic sound so it doesn't sound monotonous.

"Free Again" is the speed/thrash number on the album. It has some good echoing choruses that gives it character. I like how the notes in the guitar solo seem to hop in staccato rather than sticking to traditional legatos. "Center Of The Storm" employs a more orchestral opening that sounds less electronic and I'm here for that. The vocals also shine on this track. Of the songs I've heard so far, this one wows me the most. It's the cleanest, doesn't sound like a videogame, and emotes well. The echoing chorus is more subtle, working to give some sophistication to the track. I love the intricacy in the guitar solo and the way it bursts at the end.

The penultimate song, "War" is heavily symphonic with guttural vocals. Amid the growling, the singer makes use of his lower register in a unique blend of singing and guttural sounds. As the song goes on, it becomes more symphonic, using echoing choirs and orchestral keyboards. The album closes off with "Fear Of Being Alive" which has a scaled opening that sounds jazzy. I'm not a fan of the vocal opening; it sounds too forced. When it softens later in the song, it sounds nicer. The main melody gives us everything the band has. Speeding riffs and melodic vocals shine on this track, leaving a mostly good impression at the end of the album.

If you like bands like RHAPSODY, you might like this band's style. However, while they're solid, they don't do too much to stand out from its peers. Overall, it's OK. It just missed the wow factor with the exception of a couple songs. If you're into symphonic metal with less opera, this solid album could be a band worth checking out.