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Album Review – Hellfox / The Spectrum of Human Gravity (2025)

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These four-piece melodeath outfit from Italy is back with their sophomore album, a conceptual journey into the depths of the human psyche, exploring difficult yet universal emotions such as loneliness, self-doubt, and alienation.

Combining heavy and melodic Death Metal foundations with modern textures and acidic synths, Bergamo, Italy-based all-female Gothic/Melodic Death Metal outfit Hellfox is unleashing their sophomore opus, beautifully entitled The Spectrum of Human Gravity, following up on their 2022 debut The Call. Recorded by Alessio Lucatti at Eden Studio, mixed and Mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, and showcasing a very stylish cover art by Eva Marabotti, the new album by Greta Hammonia Antico on vocals, Gloria Naflekt Kaps on the guitars, Priscilla Poe Foresti on bass and vocals, and Federica Fedi Piscopo on drums is a conceptual journey into the depths of the human psyche, exploring difficult yet universal emotions such as loneliness, self-doubt, and alienation through allegorical storytelling and striking visual metaphors, with each song giving voice to a different “face of the self,” capturing the chaos and coherence that define our inner worlds.

Acoustic, serene guitar lines permeate the air in Nautilus before we’re treated to the epic feast titled Seaweed Braids, where their clash of harsh growls and clean vocals works well amidst a Doom Metal-infused sonority; and the metallic bass by Priscilla ignites the also melodic Empty, gradually joined by the pounding drums by Federica and the sharp guitars by Gloria, presenting a good dosage of Alternative Metal added to its core. Water On The Ceiling also presents a spot-on fusion of Gothic and Melodic Metal led by the classic beats by Federica while Priscilla keeps roaring like a she-demon in contrast with the angelic vocals by Greta, whereas Greta keeps embellishing the airwaves with her charming vocals in Pareidolia while Gloria extracts sheer heaviness from her dark riffage.

Then what seems to be a heavy ballad quickly explodes into a feast of Melodic and Alternative Metal titled Atlas, offering more of the band’s trademark paradox of darkness and light represented by the respective vocals by Priscilla and Greta, followed by Six Times Lighter, another song with strong and rumbling bass lines by Priscilla, accompanied by the hammering beats by Federica while at the same time sounding gentle and whimsical. A very modern start ignites the absolutely headbanging The Centipede, where the stringed axes by Gloria and Priscilla will make your head tremble, followed by The Warrior, The Child, The Healer, most definitely the song with the coolest or most poetic name, kicking off with the harmonious riffs by Gloria and being quickly joined by the penetrating vocals by Greta. And lastly, the quartet brings forward the embracing Voices, a decent outro with cinematic vocalizations, but that’s it.

In a nutshell, the music found in The Spectrum of Human Gravity thrives on contrast, with their dual melodic and growled female vocals, distorted layers, and atmospheric electronics merging into an emotional and immersive sound, with influences ranging from Amorphis and In Flames to Dark Tranquillity, embracing vulnerability, rage, beauty, and discomfort in equal measure. If you want to experience all that contrast proposed by the girls from Hellfox, you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, including their tour dates (currently mainly in Italy, but I’m sure we’ll soon see them spread their wings over other parts of Europe and of the entire world), stream their music on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and of course purchase a copy of their excellent new album from the Rockshots Records webstore. You can also click HERE for all things Hellfox, letting the melodious yet visceral sonic duality from their new album reach deep inside your heart and soul and, consequently, firing them up for more first-class albums in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Water On The Ceiling, Atlas and The Warrior, The Child, The Healer.

Worst moments of the album: Voices.

Released in 2025 Rockshots Records

Track listing
1. Nautilus – Seaweed Braids 4:33
2. Empty 3:44
3. Water On The Ceiling 3:50
4. Pareidolia 4:41
5. Atlas 3:53
6. Six Times Lighter 4:13
7. The Centipede 4:19
8. The Warrior, The Child, The Healer 4:34
9. Voices 1:19

Band members
Greta Hammonia Antico – clean vocals
Gloria Naflekt Kaps – guitars
Priscilla Poe Foresti – bass, harsh vocals
Federica Fedi Piscopo – drums

Album Review – Obscura Qalma / Apotheosis (2021)

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Exploring human existence in an epistemological solipsistic view, the debut album by this Stygian Italian horde is a lecture in epic and dark Death Metal that exists in its own philosophically inspired realm.

Formed in 2018 in Venice, Italy from connections built in their local scene while performing within their prior projects, the unrelenting Blackened/Symphonic Death Metal horde known as Obscura Qalma have just released their debut full-length opus, entitled Apotheosis, the follow-up to their 2019 EP From the Sheol to the Apeiron. Mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio and displaying a sinister artwork by Mexican artist Néstor Ávalos (Black Arts), Apotheosis (or “to deify” from Greek) explores human existence in an epistemological solipsistic view inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud, as well as by contemporary figures such as Massimo Recalcati and James Owen Weatherall, while musically speaking the inspiration comes from bands the likes of Dissection, Emperor and Death as well as by classical music and film composers such as Alexandre Desplat, showcasing all the talent and passion for dark music by vocalist and guitarist Sirius (Necrosy, Supremacy), guitarist Sartorius (As Memory Dies), bassist Theo (From the Shores), and drummer Res (Supremacy).

The cinematic and absolutely epic intro Demise Of The Sun sets the stage for Obscura Qalma to crush our souls in Impure Black Enlightenment, a lecture in Symphonic Black Metal with Res smashing his drums manically accompanied by the wicked riffage by Sirius and Sartorius, all spiced up by an imposing atmosphere and the demonic growls by Sirius. Then keeping the ambience as dark and sulfurous as possible the quartet blasts the venomous Gemini, with Theo and his rumbling bass adding a touch of aggressiveness to the overall result, not to mention how infernal the drums sound once again; and their onrush of obscurity goes on in The Forbidden Pantheon, another epic, massive Blackened Death Metal extravaganza led by the hellish vociferations by Sirius, sounding old school but at the same time offering the listener a fresh and modern twist. There’s no time to breathe as the quartet keeps decimating our souls in Transcending The Sefirot, with Res sounding like a three-headed beast behind his drums supported by the whimsical riffs and solos by Sirius and Sartorius.

It can’t get any more symphonic than in Paradise Lost, a dense, multi-layered creation by Obscura Qalma showcasing their trademark fusion of classic Death and Black Metal with movie-inspired scores and wicked sounds, and you better get ready to have your neck broken in half to the sound of Fleshbound, a pulverizing Blackened Death Metal tune where their riffs, bass lines and pounding beats will hammer your head mercilessly until the very last second. Never tired of bringing forward their passion and admiration for the dark side of music, it’s time for Sirius to roar in anger in The Telemachus Complex, a beautiful composition that will leave you completely disoriented, with Res taking the lead with his intricate and furious beats, whereas not a single moment of peace is offered to us all in Imperial Cult, with its background elements creating an interesting paradox with the savagery crafted by all band members. Lastly, we’re treated to Awaken A Shrine To Oblivion, starting in a more alternative and futuristic manner and evolving into their usual sound, albeit not as compelling as its predecessors.

You can enjoy all the obscurity and fury of Apotheosis by streaming the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show your utmost support to those talented Italian metallers you should purchase the album from their BandCamp page or Big Cartel, from the Rising Nemesis Records’ BandCamp page or Big Cartel, or simply click HERE for different places where you can buy or stream the album. In addition to all that, don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their wicked music. “From the nihilistic foundations of European culture and epistemological solipsism to astrophysics and psychoanalysis, Apotheosis dwells on the limits of human knowledge and the impassable boundaries of its own existence,” commented the band about their newborn spawn, creating epic and dark Death Metal that exists in its own philosophically inspired realm and, therefore, paving a promising path ahead of the band in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Impure Black Enlightenment, Paradise Lost and The Telemachus Complex.

Worst moments of the album: Awaken A Shrine To Oblivion.

Released in 2021 Rising Nemesis Records

Track listing
1. Demise Of The Sun 1:24
2. Impure Black Enlightenment 4:07
3. Gemini 5:17
4. The Forbidden Pantheon 5:01
5. Transcending The Sefirot 4:33
6. Paradise Lost 6:23
7. Fleshbound 4:01
8. The Telemachus Complex 5:28
9. Imperial Cult 4:28
10. Awaken A Shrine To Oblivion 5:57

Band members
Sirius – vocals, guitar
Sartorius – guitar
Theo – bass, backing vocals
Res – drums, additional percussion

Album Review – From The Depth / Moments (2020)

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Enjoy the new chapter in the career of this electrifying Italian Power Metal unity, celebrating relevant memories and episodes of everyday life while time passes by.

Punchy and aggressive, fans who have been waiting since the 2014 EP Perseverance are now rewarded with Moments, the sophomore full-length opus by Italian Power Metal unity From The Depth, presenting a series of personal occasions in the band members’ lives that they are reliving through their music, from hard times to the anniversary of the group forming back in 2008 in Parma, a city in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Recorded at Domination Studio and Angle Room Studio, mixed and mastered at Domination Studio, and featuring a classic artwork by Hungarian artist Péter Sallai (MORTPAINTGRAPHICS), Moments showcases all the maturity and refinement in this new chapter of a band currently comprised of Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese on vocals, Gianpiero Milione and Simone Martinelli on the guitars, Santo Clemenzi on bass and Cristiano Battini on drums. In the band’s own words, “Moments is a way to celebrate relevant memories and episodes of everyday life while time passes by. Each aspect of the production has been taken care of with extreme attention to detail from song structure to the final master; nothing has been left to chance and we did our best to get out the most from each session during songwriting.”

Futuristic and electrifying form the very first second, Immortal is a kick-ass hybrid of the music by Stratovarius, Nightwish and Gamma Ray with the band’s own Italian twist, with Gianpiero and Simone being utterly insane with their riffs, providing Raffo all he needs to shine on vocals. Then we have the faster and more ferocious Spread your Fire, a lesson in Power Metal by this Italian squad led by Cristiano’s pounding drums and the always melodious and sharp vocals by Raffo, also presenting some atmospheric passages, followed by Ten Years, another high-octane, melodic composition featuring their trademark riffs and solos and crisp background keys intertwined with the rumbling bass by Santo, with endless stamina flowing from all band members. After such high level of adrenaline, it’s time for a stunning semi-ballad by From The Depth titled Streets of Memory, where Raffo’s introspective vocal lines are nicely boosted by the smooth sound of the guitars and the groove from bass, sounding epic and imposing from start to finish. And the cinematic bridge Hypnos warms up our senses for the Symphonic Metal tune Forget and Survive, where the band brings a good amount of progressiveness to their sharp sonority with both Gianpiero and Simone embellishing the airwaves with their refined riffage and strident solos, being therefore tailored for admirers of the genre.

A medieval overture explodes into another symphonic and epic feast of Power Metal entitled Just Ice, with Santo and Cristiano making the earth shake with their thunderous kitchen, and showcasing a pleasant pace where Raffo gives another lecture with his soaring vocals during the song’s almost eight minutes of awesomeness. The band continues to crush our senses in Missed, a galloping, Stratovarius-inspired metal hymn perfect for headbanging together with the band where Cristiano is on fire with his beats, supported by all incendiary riffs, guitar and keyboard solos and rumbling bass punches. In other words,  you’ll certainly feel energized after listening to it, while endless groove and an enfolding atmosphere are the main ingredients in the modernized A Matter of Time, uniting the classic sound of Symphonic and Power Metal with nuances from more contemporary styles. And lastly, the band offers us all Somewhere, a delicate piano ballad where Raffo steals the spotlight with his deep vocals. Although I love ballads, I personally think they should have ended the album with a more gripping tune, but of course this one has its good moments such as the embracing ambience crafted by the sound of keys and bass.

In a nutshell, From The Depth have truly mastered the art of Symphonic and Power Metal in their newborn spawn, positioning them as one of the driving forces of the genre not only in their homeland, but all over our Heavy Metal world. Hence, if you want to show your support to those unstoppable Italian metallers, go check what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel and search for them on Spotify to listen to more of their thrilling creations, and above all that, grab your copy of Moments from the Rockshots Records webstore or from Apple Music, letting the magical sounds and epic passages crafted by Raffo, Gianpiero, Simone, Santo and Cristiano penetrate deep inside your mind and soul in the name of Heavy Metal, providing you some amazing musical moments in your everyday life.

Best moments of the album: Immortal, Spread your Fire and Missed.

Worst moments of the album: Somewhere.

Released in 2020 Rockshots Records

Track listing
1. Immortal 4:55
2. Spread your Fire 4:55
3. Ten Years 5:09
4. Streets of Memory 4:20
5. Hypnos 1:51
6. Forget and Survive 4:48
7. Just Ice 7:46
8. Missed 4:51
9. A Matter of Time 5:47
10. Somewhere 4:22

Band members
Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese – vocals, choir vocals, guitars on “Streets of Memory”
Gianpiero Milione – guitars
Simone Martinelli – guitars
Santo Clemenzi – bass, choir vocals
Cristiano Battini – drums

Guest musicians
Davide Castro – keyboards on “Immortal”, “Spread your Fire”, “Ten Years”, “Streets of Memory”, “A Matter of Time” and “Somewhere”
Andrea De Paoli – keyboards on “Ten Years”, “Forget and Survive”, “Missed” and “A Matter of Time”
Oreste Giacomini – keyboards on “Immortal”
Roberto Tiranti, Giacomo Voli, Angelo Guidetti, Marco Spitale, Stefano Nusperli, Marco Olmedi, Ros Crash, Jennifer Ferretti – choir vocals