Metal Underground.com

Showing off a different face of the female-fronted metal world, A Sound of Thunder’s “Out of the Darkness” is an unexpected knockout release helping to get 2012 off to a rocking start. Combining the feel of earlier incarnations of metal with incredibly powerful vocal work and some surprising twists into the symphonic and even prog rock, A Sound of Thunder has a strong and unique sound well worth hearing.

The band fills a very small niche in the heavy metal world, having a female vocalist who sings with a commanding and emotive voice. Her lyrical delivery is neither an Angela Gossow style growl nor a Tarja Turunen type of operatic singing, but instead has more in common with metal queen Doro. The vocals aren’t flat and unchanging, however, as Nina Osegueda soars up into power metal or dips down into a visceral yell when necessary.

Several of the album’s tracks have minor symphonic/gothic trappings along the lines of Nightwish or Epica, but honestly that’s window dressing. The core of the disc is full on traditional metal with a rock and roll feel that twists and turns into various other styles for a fascinating blend of musical ideas. The opening song for instance is a proper headbanger, but then halfway through a pipe organ style solo comes out of nowhere, suddenly transforming the track into a proggy dream that wouldn’t be out of place on an Opeth album. “This Too Shall Pass” completely changes the formula heard on previous songs, acting almost like an interlude with its stringed instruments and softer singing, except that it goes for a full five minutes.

The changes almost always work well, but there is a track that will likely be divisive for listeners not expecting one particular shift in direction. In a manner not far off from Steel Panther, the audience really has to be in on the joke to fully appreciate the tongue-in-cheek “Kill That Bitch.” While it happens to be a new favorite song for this particular reviewer, many others may fail to see the humor of lines like “I’m not asking you to go on a crime spree, just this once kill that bitch for me!” or “I’ve got more cajones than that whore!” Ah, unrequited love and how it affects the metal-inclined…

“Out of the Darkness” is infectious, fun, and never sticks to just one single sound. With unstoppable vocals and a steady stream of changing styles, this is a standout release that belongs in the collection of just about any metal fan.