One of things that I like a lot about NeonFly is their ability to write quite complex songs that are wrapped up in plenty of hooks. There are so many memorable choruses and lush keyboard textures throughout the album, courtesy of a combination of Günter Werno (Vanden Plas; Place Vendome) and session ace Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg, and that The Future, Tonight a very easy listen. Scratch beneath the surface however and there is a complexity to be found that will ensure repeated listens are rewarded. The album opens with This World is Burning, a song that was released online quite a long time ago - and it is a track that sees the band continuing on the sound forged throughout Strangers in Paradise. The song is a great mid-paced rocker, and as the gentle acoustic intro gives way to a strident guitar lead the core NeonFly sound is instantly on display. There are hints of some of the heaviness to come however. The song is perhaps less carefree sounding than is typical for the band, with Thunder's rhythms having a bit more crunch than usual and Miller's bass being very present in the mix. While NeonFly has always been Thunder's band, Norton is, in my opinion, their secret weapon. His voice is instantly likeable, and he is able to effortlessly hit a high note when required - but in a much cleaner way than many of metal's falsetto singers. This technique is on display during the song's soaring, AOR-esque chorus - with some of the melodies then being built upon by Midgley during his technical guitar solo. Last of Our Kind is a bit heavier, and opens with angular, effects-heavy riff that sounds a bit different for the band. Norton's effortless vocal melodies help to ground the band's sound, but there is certainly more bite here than has been present in the band's music previously. Brown's work behind the drum kit is also put to the test here, with the verses in particularly bringing a pretty busy performance out of him. The chorus is classic NeonFly, with a soaring chorus and plenty of Rodenberg's signature strings, but the rest of the song is much more overtly metal than is usual - with Rodenberg even adding a few progressive metal-esque synth leads during some of them. The band have clearly wanted to beef their sound up on this album, and Last of Our Kind is a great example of this newfound weight. Flesh & Blood is a little more laid back than the album's opening two numbers - and it has the feel of an epic, stadium-ready ballad with its soaring orchestral arrangements and emotional chorus. There is still some crunch to be found, but overall Thunder's guitars are less omni-present, instead provide choppy rhythms while Miller's bass fills in the gaps with some snaking leads. As with most of the songs here, the melodies are very memorable - and the song's chorus is another that will stick in the brain. Norton's vocal melodies are infectious as well as epic, while Thunder's wah-drenched solo evokes Slash's style nicely - which is fitting given the song's stadium ambitions.
The album's title track is up next, and it is one of my favourite cuts here - and it has already become one of my favourite NeonFly songs. It is also a great showcase of the band's heavier aspirations, as it features harsh vocals by Björn 'Speed' Strid (Soilwork; Terror 2000; Coldseed; The Night Flight Orchestra) who really adds a lot to the song. The band have experimented with pseudo-harsh vocals previously - but there are a handful of songs here that push them to the fore, and it helps to add a new dimension to the band's sound. The song is also extremely dynamic, and it builds perfectly towards Strid's fantastic pre-chorus - before it explodes into easily the album's best chorus. The hooks are to die for, but the rest of the song is just as strong. Parts of the verses are quite moody, with clean guitar arpeggios and muted drumming - but this just allows the song to feel even more powerful when Strid launches into one of his furious harsh vocal-led sections. It is a triumph overall, and one of the best songs of its kind released so far this year. Beating Hearts opens as another more low key track, which is probably wise after the bombast of the title track. This vibe does not last however, but the opening moments with its dense keyboards and acoustic guitars is certainly a contrast to the hard-hitting previous song. It soon grows in stature however, and it morphs into an anthemic mid-paced rocker with strident classic rock-inspired riffing, a gang-vocal led chorus, and some excellent Rodenberg keyboard work. NeonFly have done more classic rock-inspired pieces before, but there is certainly a bigger blues-based rock vibe here than previously - especially during Thunder's guitar-led breakdown section. More Than a Lifetime again opens slowly, with some chiming Werno piano and floating Norton vocals. Unlike the other songs that have started slowly however, this one largely stays that way. The song seems poised to explode in a big way, but Thunder opts instead for an acoustic guitar rhythm that works wonderfully to turn the song on its head. I like the way that the band have played with expectations here, and have created another pseudo-ballad that sounds a little different for them. There are classic NeonFly moments, such as later renditions of the chorus which are certainly bigger-sounding than the early iteration and Midgely's shredding guitar solo, but there are also moments that see the band doing something different - which is welcome. Another Eden is a heavier track, and is the first of two to feature harsh vocals courtesy of Kaan Tasan (Heart of a Coward) who, like Strid before him, really adds a lot to the song. With three songs here featuring harsh vocals, I have a feeling that this is a sound that the band want to play with more going forward. I like how they managed to toughen up their sound without compromising their core tropes either, as Another Eden is still a ridiculously catchy song with fluid keyboard leads and another soaring chorus. Norton's ability to craft a vocal hook is unrivalled in the UK melodic metal scene, and his chorus here is another winner - his diction perfect despite the fast-paced melodies. Tasan is used sparingly here, but his breakdown section ups the song's overall heaviness - and it makes it another memorable track on the album.
Steal the World, which also features Tasan, ups the pace and heaviness - and the result is possibly the most furious NeonFly song yet. The song's opening is fast, with some excellent Brown drumming, and sees Norton and Tasan singing together to create a big, powerful sound. Even when the heaviness drops out, the song's quieter moments still have an urgency to them - and the song overall just steams along at a great pace as a result. Tasan is utilised liberally here. He plays off Norton throughout, and bulks out the choruses nicely as a result, but also takes the lead on a furious metalcore-inspired section that sounds more like something he would sing as part of his day job with Heart of a Coward. This section may be a bit hard for some melodic metal fans to stomach, but I think that it works really well. It shows off a different side of Thunder's songwriting - and his riffing is on point when it comes to the classic metalcore tropes. It makes the song stand out, and it is another winner. Final Warning is another faster song, but the overt heaviness of the previous couple of songs has been largely stripped away - and instead the song sounds like a cut left over from the Strangers in Paradise sessions. The track is very much a classic melodic power metal track at its core, with some razor-sharp riffing and flashy keyboard textures - but there is a strange breakdown that does hark back to the previous couple of songs that sees Norton attempting more of a 'tough guy' vocal approach. As much as I like Norton, I do not think that he is a singer that can really pull off that style, and the breakdown section sounds a bit clunky and out of place as a result. The rest of the song is great however, and the soaring chorus is another winner - with Norton showcasing what he is best at. The tougher breakdown should probably have been left to Strid or Tasan - but it is the only genuine weak moment of the album for me. The album comes to a close with The Things We Left Behind (and the Things That Slipped Away), another more relatively laid back. NeonFly closed Strangers in Paradise with something of a ballad too, so it seems to be becoming their tradition to do so. There are moments that toughen things up, with some of the choruses being boosted by Thunder's heavy guitar rhythms, but on the whole the song is acoustic-based with plenty of strings and Norton's emotional vocal performance. Even the heavier moments feel more calm in comparison to much of the album, but that seems fitting and I really like the way the album ends on a bit of a more whimsical note. The album overall however is not very laid back, and its overall heaviness is what makes it such a good listen. I like the progression found here in comparison to Strangers in Paradise, with the songs here sounding like NeonFly taking things to the next level. I just hope that the band do not leave it a further seven years to release another album, as this is a progression that I cannot wait to hear more from.
The album was released on 18th June 2021 via Noble Demon/UCM.ONE GmbH. Below is the band's promotional video for The Future, Tonight.
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