Metal Underground.com

If you haven’t heard Inmoria on the band’s stunning 2009 debut with Morgana Lefay vocalist Charles Rytkönen, then “A Farewell to Nothing” will definitely satisfy power metal fans who desire a more modern touch. Much has changed with the band since this album was released this past October. For one, vocalist Søren Nico Adamsen (Artillery) has left the band and was replaced by Tad Morose vocalist Ronny Hemlin. Of course, this comes as no surprise since Hemlin originally provided backing vocals as a guest on the album. Well, that and the rest of the band is comprised of both current and former members of Tad Morose.

One of the best parts about writing a “hindsight” review is that subsequent to the lineup change, the band has re-recorded four tracks refreshed with Hemlin at the forefront, so it begs for a little comparison. Hemlin has his work cut out for him as Adamsen is a tremendously versatile vocalist capable of singing just about any style of metal.

Inmoria can be best described as “Brainstorm on steroids.” The band is both incredibly heavy and very melodic. The touch of modernization comes with the keyboard flash (from Danne Eriksson). No, it’s not a new formula, but it works very well with Inmoria. Adamsen adds a powerhouse effect on vocals. Artillery aside (a whole other level of greatness), his work with Crystal Eyes was amazing, but on this Inmoria release he takes it to a new level. Sure, he can “søre,” but it’s the gritty style that makes him so special. Check out “Hear My Prayers” and “My Last Farewell” as the best examples of what he is capable of.

The band has the knack for creating songs that are unpredictably good. Take “Just Another Lie,” for instance. The “sweet” keyboard at the start lures you into the false sense that this will turn out to be a power ballad. What follows is an extremely crunchy song that just gets heavier as the track goes on, like pouring a layer of tasty sludge on a rack of riffs. Other notable tracks include “Blinded,” “The Mirror” and album favorite “End of the Line.”

My one gripe is with a tiny aspect of the drum sound. After the first three tracks, the hi-hat cymbal becomes a migraine-inducing line of static that forces the listener to fixate, distracting from the rest of the instruments. I am not sure if it is the way it was miked or produced, but it is a noticeable distraction.

Now, the band offered four of the album’s strongest songs for free with Hemlin on lead vocals: “Blinded,” “In My Dreams,” “The Mirror” and “My Last Farewell.” Hemlin’s style is quite good and very similar to Adamsen’s, but with a little less grit and a bit less force. On “Blinded,” where Søren would put open up and push another ounce of brute force at the end of every line, Hemlin just trails off on a higher note. Also, that cool electronic flash at the beginning is notably absent on the re-recording.

“A Farewell to Nothing” should capture the attention of diehard power metal fans, as well as those who have become disillusioned by the stagnation of power metal in recent times. It is a modern re-fresh with a backbone infused with a ton of power.