Review ARION “The Light That Burns the Sky”

Arion is a Finnish melodic power metal band, and the first time I came in contact with their music was when they supported Battle Beast in 2019. At the time, the guys had just released their second album, “Life Is Not Beautiful”, and the band delivered a pretty energetic show at the time.

Five years later, Arion are back with their fourth album “The Light That Burns the Sky” and what we can expect is well-crafted symphonic metal. The five-piece from Helsinki hasn’t changed much when it comes to their music. Finding the sweet spot between melody, heaviness and a bombastic sound is still what we can expect from Arion and the band delivers.

“The Light That Burns the Sky” begins with an intro called “The Darkest Day”. It is a dramatic beginning in which the band lays the foundation for the other nine songs on their latest release. After such a start, it is the up-tempo title track that follows. The song is a typical representative of its genre. Fast and charged up with some heaviness, the song instantly blossoms thanks to its melody. It is a well chosen tone setter for the album and leads you to “Like the Phoenix I Will Rise”. Cinematic metal with bombast and drama is what blasts out of the speakers and as with the last Majestica album it is difficult not to get caught in the web of catchiness.

A nicely placed twist is the guest appearance of Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum. Her vocal contribution is a great addition to Arion’s sound and gives the album an extra spice.

One of the heaviest songs on the record is the blazing “Wildfire”. Although the beginning is calmer, the song itself is a pounding metal track with a very dense sound and some symphonic elements. Aggressive vocals and a catchy chorus are the poles that give the album a special thrill.

Arion stick to their signature sound and deliver an album that shows a next step in the band’s career. While maintaining their roots, the band continues to evolve their music. The latest effort delivers consistent quality and although their music isn’t the mind-blowing new sound experience, it is very entertaining to surf through this ten song track list.