Are you ready for some quality Power-Metal??  Indiana’s Prehistoria released a very good debut ep, in 2022, Cursed Lands.  It fell under the radar, but it showcased some excellent songwriting and lots of noodly guitar moments.

Armed with a label, Stormspell Records, known for their high quality output of classic and power metal bands, Cryptic Halo is one helluva debut album.  If you did not look this band up, you would think this band hails from either England, Germany, or Sweden.  Countries known quite well for power metal bands.

Nine songs in 45 minutes, “Futile Invocation of Cosmic Acknowledgement” begins the album and is a short instrumental, which works well with how it’s produced, and as it builds to a crescendo, look out as “Rise” starts things off.  One of the things noticeable on this debut album is a greater emphasis on the leaning towards thrash metal.  The riffs are meatier and thicker, all interwoven with the main power metal structures and choruses.  The galloping beginning is heavy power metal.  After the galloping, BOOM!!! Right into a blast beat.  It’s pretty killer and Alonso “Zo” Donoso once again showcasing his various vocal tones and talents as he has a steadfast power metal voice.  Cody Johns has improved exponentially since the ep as his technique is tighter and well, he is faster, overall, adding the extra bit of intensity.  Jump ahead on this song to the 3.50 mark to hear those ruthless blast beats.  Shit, he’s tighter then a lot of death metal drummers, come to think of it.  Ian Bender’s bass guitar is well mixed in as you can hear his string plucking clearly.  Shaun Cothron/Max Otworth Guitars, really have crafted killer riffs.  This song is monstrous.

“Salvation Denied” gives you no rest, getting right into a brutal blast beat with soaring aria style power metal vocals with some layering effects as well.  Excellent.  The 1.20 galloping thrashy heaviness has Alonso using a deeper tone to coincide with the heavier underbelly of this song.  Between the time signature changes, the guitar melodies, blasts and solos, this song is frickin’ intense.  It’s rare that power metal bands are called intense.  When I think of some bands, Pathfinder comes to mind, with how they constructed their power metal, however, also incorporating striking blast beats.

“Everlasting Legacy” is slower paced, with some drumming moments, incorporating some poly-rhythmics.  The song pics up to a slightly quicker gallop and these guitar melodies are a thing of beauty as is this rhythm section.  It moves and gels like the band has been playing together for decades.  Some of the high vocal tones give me King Diamond chills, they are done rather well.  The King would be proud, if he heard this band.

“Dreamchaser”, at over seven minutes, is the longest song and incorporates all the great elements Prehistoria does so well.  There are some very catchy guitar riffs and sweeps going on.  Excellent vocals and the drumming hits hard on this one.  Excellent song to end the album.  Very strong.

Prehistoria have crafted a very memorable and heavy power metal debut album with Cryptic Halo. Song writing and musicianship is top notch, and most of all this is catchy.  You know the only real knock, if there is one, is that there are a lot of vocals on this album, on each song.  Sometimes you have to let the music breathe a little during certain sections, without vocals.  Other than that, this is excellently mixed and produced.  Awesome debut!

 

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