SELENSEAS – The Outer Limits

From Russia with Love

3 years ago the Russian Power Metal band Selenseas put out a great album on Soundage Records called The Outer Limits, which was of course all in Russian. So now that they are on their new label Sonic Blast, they have reworked the entire album and now sing all of the songs in English. I don’t have the original album to compare and make notes, but this new version sounds great, with lots to make it worth buying whether you have the original Russian version or not.

The Outer Limits

I can’t help but like this from the start when the title is from a classic sci-fi TV show that was a childhood favorite. Selenseas play very tight Power Metal that at times borders on Prog Metal with all of the neat solos from guitars and keyboards, to the double bass drumming and epic themes. The new album has the original 11 songs, plus bonus mixes of  “The Milky Way” and “The Mirror”.  The album is well written, the arrangements are very tasteful and the melodies are anthemic, quickly getting stuck in your head. The musicianship is top notch all the way around in this band, from the kick ass drumming of Ludmila Malaya to the blazing leads from keyboardist Svetlana Tyushina and twin guitars of Denis Andrianov and Ivan Lisitsyn.

Favorite Tracks

The opener “Hope” fires on all cylinders right out of the gates, and is followed by “Frigate” which is an excellent sea-faring metal anthem. Another tune that shows off the bands talents is “Time” with it’s cool riffs and fast to slow changes that break up the song nicely, making it one that stuck in my head right away. Did I mention that the lead guitars were smokin’ hot on this album? “The Revenge Of The Ifrit” is probably this reviewer’s favorite track over all, with the epic riffs and well crafted arrangement bringing the story to life.

Final Notes

Selenseas has put together a very polished, well executed album. Since I did not have the original Russian language version from 2017 I can’t really say which is better, but who cares? The Outer Limits is a great accomplishment, and a great re-start for them with their new label. I’m looking forward to what happens next from this band, and would recommend this album to fans of Power , Prog and Symphonic Metal hands down.

Lineup

Vladislav Tyushin – bass, music, lyrics, arrangement
Mikhail Kudrey – vocals
Denis Andrianov – guitars, music
Ivan Lisitsyn – guitars
Ludmila Malaya – drums, lyrics
Svetlana Tyushina – keyboards

Outer Limits – Tracklist

1. Intro
2. Hope
3. Frigate
4. Time
5. Asgard
6. The Revenge Of The Ifrit
7. Dante
8. The Mirror
9. The Flame Of Dawn
10. The Milky Way
11. The Outer Limits

Running Time: 48:02