WHALES DON'T FLY was born in Bragança, Portugal in December 2018. Being highly influenced by Progressive music driven by Heavy Metal's power, they built the concept of their first album "The Golden Sea." It's a tumultuous journey filled with all the men's virtues and faults; a mystery that culminates into the unknown, in an abstraction of sensations orchestrated by the Portuguese musicians. Unfortunately, their record label's webpage doesn't even list them on their roster, nor does The Metal Archives have an entry on them, so I have no idea who they are. This is their debut album, and contains nine tracks.

"Ancient Mystery" opens the album. It opens with soft and mysterious tones and spoken female words. "Once upon a time there was a legend of a vast land named by The Golden Sea. Where every reality came to be. If you desire to purify your mind It's a place you must find. A promise land for those who seek fortune. Not gold, nor fame. Only goals no men can tame." "Man and the Pilgrim" begins with a mid-tempo pace and a heavy, powerful riff. The vocals start as harsh shouts over a bed of aggressive rhythms. The clean vocals in the chorus are melodic and energetic. Harmonies in both the guitars and vocals show the band's more emotional side.

"Journey Begin" features some darker tones with elements of Progressive music. This is not a journey to a happy place, but rather a place where you don't know the final destination. "Seasons come and go but the river still finds its way onto the sea. Colossal mountain blocks the path; a chapter ends, another begins." The song shifts a couple times with seamless transitions, and the chorus is again very melodic and charming. "Mountain Peak" is a faster and more powerful song speaking of not stopping and the will of the human spirit. "Stay firm on this line that you created for yourself. Hang on. Try to reach the mountain peak."

"Dream Walker" begins with a good deal of atmospheric elements. Clean vocals and guitars take this aptly titled song forward, with smooth, dreamy melodies. Audible bass notes can be heard and the vocals shift to harsh screaming, opposing the charming quality of the instruments. "Blossom in the Dark" begin with a steady rhythm of weighted guitars and harsh vocals. Clean vocals bring the melody to the forefront, while the steady rhythms of the riffs bring the power. "A Journey's End" begins with another steady riff and harsh vocals. Seguing to cleans, they let some light into the dark world they created. The melodies that they develop here are quite charming.

"The Golden Sea" is the peak of the album. It makes reference to a mirage of sorts...a golden sea of sand where water once was; the lifeblood of a people long since forgotten. The opening riffs here and powerful and confident. A strong instrumental run with some keys occupies the middle of the song, sounding a bit like IRON MAIDEN. Bass notes take over from there...leading to the final push, and a crescendo of might. "Mother Nature's Newborn" closes the album. More prophetic words have never been written: "The Pilgrim's journey has come to an end. As he weakly drops his grizzled staff, unravelling the ancestral wisdom, writing on the Nature's epitaph. The last bone cracked and the old muscle ceased as his wrinkles outlined his perpetual emotion, at last laying down forever along with the magical creatures. May the ancient Pilgrim rest."

Though they didn't quite reach the pinnacle they were aiming for, they came close. The ambitious aims of the band were hindered by some meandering passages that didn't connect well with the end goals. Still, the musicianship of the band members is noteworthy, and the songwriting was decent. They have all of the talent to really be great in the genre. Since this was the band's first effort, I can only chalk this up for "first-album" jitters. They play confidently, but haven't filled in all the holes just yet.