BOREALIS – Fall From Grace

Borealis is the five-piece Progressive Metal force hailing from Ontario, Canada. They have exuberant energy, and loads of musical talent. Fall From Grace is the band’s second album, and it’s filled with enthusiastic tracks that remind you of classic Progressive Metal artists such as Symphony X, Sonata Arctica, and Evergrey. Thundering guitar riffs, powerful vocals, and rough melodies are all keys to Borealis’ success.

Borealis had its beginnings back in 2005, and the band had a very different look and sound compared to today’s version. Their first songs were performed with a female opera singer. They soon realized the potential of the band was very limited following that style. Guitarist Matt Marinelli stepped up to take over the lead vocalist duties and Borealis began to take shape. Their 2008 release, World Of Silence, was a respectable debut release, but failed to provide the punch and splendor which is displayed on Fall From Grace.

Vocalist Matt Marinelli is the focal element of the band. His vocals are very similar to Symphony X’s legendary Russell Allen, with a dark and gritty undertone which defines the Borealis style of Metal. From the first track, “Finest Hour”, which portrays very intense and rough vocals, to the soft and melodic “Watch The World Collapse”, which exhibits a substantial vocal range; Marinelli proves himself to be an incredibly versatile and capable front man.

The other key ingredient to the sound of Borealis is the tandem guitar duo of Ken Fobert and Marinelli. They produce immensely heavy, driving, and almost thrashy guitar riffs; and also some great shredding guitar solos too. One of the best examples of their work is the extremely intense track “Regeneration”, which not only contains lighting-fast guitars, but also lighting-fast drums and keyboards. Drummer Sean Dowell is very proficient in the art of the dual kick drums and uses them generously throughout the entire album. So much so, the drums actually help define the signature sound of Borealis.

The most notable song on the album is the aforementioned “Watch The World Collapse”, mostly because it is such a vast departure from the intensity of the other tracks. It begins with a soft acoustic guitar intro and epic keyboards. The song also has some very beautiful vocal harmonies as it crescendos into a heavy guitar climax, and then fades out as softly as it began.

Overall, Fall From Grace is a hearty thrill ride that provides the listener with some old fashioned head-banging Metal. It is difficult to measure and compare Borealis to other Progressive Metal artists simply because the band focuses more on a fast and energetic sound and not as much on meticulous melodies. Borealis definitely leans toward the heavy and darker side of Progressive Metal, which should provide them limitless possibilities for their future.