«Becoming After» is Noveria’s first record with their new lineup. It was released on August 21, 2026 via Scarlet Records and is the follow-up to «The Gates of the Underworld» from 2023.
Country: Italy
Genre: Progressive Metal, Power Prog
For fans of: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Nevermore
To Francesco Mattei (guitars) and Andrea Arcangeli (bass), who hold the core, were added Francesco Marino on vocals (from Dreamscape), Paolo Campitelli on keys (from Alterium) and Paolo Conte on drums (formerly of Aporia).
The first thing you understand is that Noveria know how to play. Guitars and keys take on melody and rhythm at once, bringing out mechanical breakdowns and lush string layers — on «Convicted To Rise» the synchronized solos leave and return with grandeur. Conte gives rhythm with ease: syncopation, fills on time and time changes that add interest to the more ordinary riffs, with double kick when the band turns to more power paths, as on «Radiance» and «Heavenfall».
Our take
The issue isn’t the abilities but the decisions. There are scattered cinematic elements, safe choices in the structure and ideas that start well without reaching a satisfying conclusion — signs of a change that hasn’t settled yet.
Their previous material, «The Gates of the Underworld» (2023) and «Aequilibrium» (2019), shows what they can do when everything locks in. Here it locks in often, not always: «Becoming After» is worth a listen, with the bet falling on the next record from this lineup.
See «Convicted To Rise»:
More on the same side of metal: Pentagram (Mezarkabul) – Unspoken.
See also
See also: Kamelot – Dark Asylum and Powerwolf – Wake Up the Wicked.
See also: Sigh – Goh-ka: Avant-garde metal with traditional Japanese instruments front and center
