Label: Maple Metal Records
Review by Tony Cannella
The Italian melodic symphonic metal band Tothem returns with their second full-length album entitled, “Gemini”. I was a huge fan of their debut “Beyond the Sea”, so with “Gemini” the expectations were high. The result is that Tothem has released an album as good – if not better – than their previous album. Tothem straddles effortlessly the line between strong metal riffs and lush symphonic arrangements. In lead singer Roslen Bondì, the band has someone who can do it all, whether that be a soaring metal voice or an operatic style. In that way, I would compare her to someone like Floor Jansen from Nightwish. The opening track, “Gemini” begins with the strongest of fist-pumping, headbanging riffs. Right out-of-the gate this sets the tone and does exactly what an opening song should do; I can see this song opening their live sets as well. “Die a Thousand Lives” is up next and squarely picks up where the previous song left off. It is full of energy and power and easily became one of my favorites. “Legacy” is next and whilst this is still a heavy song, it slows the tempo down a bit and is a perfect showcase for what Roslen has to offer as a vocalist and what the band is capable of. “Soul Mates” is next and a beautiful ballad (kind of) with heavy parts and some spine-tingling operatic vocals and awesome musicianship. “Bipolar Disorder” brings up the heaviness a notch and is another favorite. The next song, “Liar” has a bit of a Dream Theater vibe with the keyboards, but beyond that this is really an up-tempo number and showcases some cool interplay between the vocals, guitars and keyboards. Other highlights include “Essenza” and “The Rains of Castamer”. The whole is concluded with a live version of “The Witch” – a song that originally appeared on their previous record. With “Gemini”, Tothem is a focused band and one that we are sure to continue hearing from in the future. This great band have just released a fantastically great album. I was not disappointed.
Rating – 92/100
Tracklist
- Gemini
- Die a Thousand Lives
- Legacy
- Soul Mates
- Bipolar Disorder
- Liar
- Essenza
- The Other Half
- The Rains of Castamere
- The Witch (live)
Line Up
- Roslen Bondì – Vocals
- Mark Cyril – Electric Guitar and Backing Vocals
- Marco Minno – Piano, Keyboards and Synth
- Leonardo Ricci – Bass Guitar
- Andrea Cimino – Drums and Percussions