- Country: USA (Los Angeles, California)
- Genre: Power Metal / Progressive Metal
- For fans of: Angra, Lost Horizon, DragonForce, Symphony X, Edu Falaschi, Iron Maiden
NOVAREIGN – Shifting the Axis of the World
Novareign are not a new name for those who follow Power and Progressive Metal. The band from Los Angeles made its first appearance in 2018 with “Legends”, an album that showed early on that there’s a great love here for fast guitars, big choruses and technical playing.
Eight years later, Novareign return with “Shifting the Axis of the World” and, fortunately, they didn’t try to change what made them stand out. There are some lineup changes, with David Walston added on second guitar, but the basic recipe stays the same: two guitars, a fast rhythm section, strong clean vocals and plenty of Progressive touches.
Two guitars and a lot of running
If there’s something immediately noticeable, it’s that Novareign aren’t afraid of speed.
Balmore Lemus and David Walston both have plenty of work to do. Sometimes they play together in harmonies and solos and sometimes one holds down a technical riff while the other fills the track with guitar lines.
There are plenty of moments that bring DragonForce and Edu Falaschi to mind, but Novareign don’t rely only on fast playing. The guitars have melody and the riffs remain quite easy to remember.
And somewhere here comes a small surprise.
Moises Galvez‘s bass steals the show several times. From the first minute of the album there are technical passages and tapping that don’t stay hidden beneath the guitars. The bass has a powerful sound and keeps being heard throughout the album, especially in the strongest choruses.
Long songs without wearing you out
Novareign aren’t afraid of long durations. “Sun & Moon” reaches ten minutes, but you don’t feel it drags on for no reason.
There are long instrumental sections, tempo changes and enough hooks to keep the song interesting. The same goes for the title track “Shifting the Axis of the World”, which goes past eight minutes.
On “Ironsides” the band becomes more direct. The guitars come in strong, the chorus is one of those you want to sing along with David Marquez and the solos provide the necessary technical weight.
Shifting the Axis of the World – YouTube
David Marquez is also one of the reasons the album works. He has a strong, full voice, goes up high without losing control and gives the songs that classic Power Metal feeling.
“Blood of the Game” is a prime example. The chorus is powerful, the guitars keep moving fast behind it and there are tempo changes that make the track more interesting than a plain Power Metal song.
Where Progressive helps
On “Thunder & Majesty” Novareign show their Progressive side best. The track changes tempo around the middle and moves from a stronger section into a more open and melodic part without sounding like it was cut in half.
These transitions are among the best elements of the album. The band knows when to hit the gas and when to leave a little room for melody.
“Mors Indecepta” also moves in a darker direction, while “Ode to the Masses” opens the album in a way that shows the band’s intentions from the start.
There are, however, some points where Novareign could have made better choices.
The big build-up on “Sun & Moon” doesn’t ultimately lead somewhere as strong as you expect. After so much preparation you expect a big chorus or a truly powerful solo, but what follows is simpler.
And when the band lowers the intensity a lot, the result isn’t always as strong. Novareign are better when they move, when the guitars run and when the rhythm section is in full action.
They could use the orchestra more
One element that appears toward the end of the title track is the orchestras. And here there’s something I’d like to hear more of from Novareign.
The strings and brass give “Shifting the Axis of the World” a bigger, more cinematic feel and make the song stand out even more.
If the band decided to use such elements in a larger part of its music, it could open up its sound even more without losing its Power Metal DNA.
There’s also a small issue with how some songs end. “Sun & Moon” and the title track end in rather chaotic finishes with guitars and drums, while “Ironsides” fades out exactly where you’d want to hear the solo complete.
These aren’t things that ruin the album, but they are points where Novareign could have put a little more thought.
Still, “Shifting the Axis of the World” sounds fresh within today’s Power/Progressive Metal. And that matters, because the sound of the genre in recent years has filled up with bands following very specific recipes.
Novareign keep their foundations, but they have enough energy, technical playing and melody so as not to seem outdated. “Legends” had already shown what they can do and here it’s clear that the years that passed helped them become even tighter.
“Sun & Moon”, “Ironsides” and “Blood of the Game” are among the moments I’ll return to most easily, while the title track shows there’s room for even bigger things in the future.
Novareign don’t need to change course. They simply need to keep building on what they already do well and give a little more room to elements like the orchestras and the smarter transitions. Because when they hit the gas, this band really knows how to make Power Metal sound alive.
Tracklist
- Ode to the Masses – 08:15
- Sun & Moon – 10:06
- Ironsides – 05:59
- Blood of the Game – 07:18
- Mors Indecepta – 05:55
- Thunder & Majesty – 07:15
- Shifting the Axis of the World – 08:38
