For fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Malmsteen and the likes…
Released by Frontier Records on 13 July 2018 and Reviewed by Angelina Pelova
When great minds get together, they create great things. The reason why I got interested in Destinia is Ronnie Romero, the highly acclaimed young vocalist who gained popularity as the lead singer of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. After Lords of Black and CoreLeoni, this is another band he got involved in, Destinia, together with two more well-known musicians: Marco Mendoza (The Dead Daisies) and Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake). The person behind this project is Nozomi Wakai, a Japanese heavy metal guitarist.. After seeing Lords of Black live at the Loud Park Festival in Japan, he made Romero an offer, as, not surprisingly, he was amazed by his abilities and talent (review of Lord of Black’s recent CD can be found here).
Metal Souls is the debut album released by Destinia, and for Wakai it is his third one. It delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Considering the names of those involved in it, you will hear exactly what you expect. Written and produced by the new generation Japanese guitar hero, this release is a fine example of classical melodic power metal, with intricate riffs, lots of shredding and guitar solos, good melodies and a brilliant vocalist.
For fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen and the likes, there will be no major surprises here – which does not diminish the quality of the album. From the explosive, straight-to-the-point start with no intros, to its very finish, this is particularly good quality rock metal. There are a few associations to be drawn here with most of the classic representatives of heavy rock and metal. A typical example is ‘Rain’ which sounds like the modern days variation of Whitesnake and puts Romero on a pedestal, once again showing off his versatile talent.
Compared to Romero’s Lords of Black, Destinia is more on the heavy metal front (as opposed to the Lords’ clearly progressive affiliation), with less lyrical deviations and depth, but just as good melodies, power and explosive energy. The vocalist adapts his singing style with each project he takes part in, still managing to leave his own stamp on each band he works with, making it sound like his own: a sign of a true talent. His soulful vocals fit the music perfectly.
Tracks like ‘Promised Land’ and ‘Be A Hero’ lead us back to the certain exemplars of progressive metal (Stratovarius and a bit of Royal Hunt maybe), while ‘Rain’ clearly pays tribute to the masters of Blackmore’s Rainbow (particularly the intro) and Whitesnake (the final chords). ‘The End of Love’ and ‘Cross The Line’ may make you think of Iron Maiden a bit…and the list could carry on. Modern days meet their roots. A perfect amalgamation of contemporary melodic metal and classic heavy rock.
Track list:
- Metal Souls
- Rain
- The End of Love
- Promised Land
- Take Me Home
- Raise Your Fist
- Be a Hero
- Metamorphosis
- Cross The Line
- Judgement Day
- Ready for Rock
