Black Knight Symphonia – “Heavenly Chaos” (2009)

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

Black Knight Symfonia hail from Monaco and were formed in early 2008. They play a pretty cool style of symphonic, dark metal that definitely includes elements of movie score type of music. That sound and more can be heard on their debut release titled “Heavenly Chaos”. The band feature three singers in their ranks: band founder Michael “Saga” Fiori handles the extreme vocals, Adelaide “Arya” Allard de Stave brings the operatic style and Anaïs “Nymphadora” Chevallier style is more heavy and Micheal sings the clear male vocals and all the extreme parts, these different mixes of styles give Black Knight Symfonia a lot of diversity and in the end help to add to the overall listening experience.  The intro track “Glorification of the Dead” get’s us started and it has a definite music soundtrack score type of feel to it. “Dark Era” is next and although it starts off slow, it has a sense of darkness and mystery surrounding the opening as the operatic voice of Adelaide Allard de Stave come in and she is soon joined by clean vocals provided by Michael Fiori, who also adds some extreme vocals to the song. This is a cool track and is one of my absolute favorites. “Chevalier Noir” is next and this is one of the more different numbers on “Heavenly Chaos”. It is a song that only features synths and orchestration with a bit of guitar and is a great show case for Adelaide with her operatic vocals, but the extreme voice of Micheal Fiori also makes an appearance. An interesting number that really sets it apart from the other material presented here. The band get back to the metal with the pounding track “Dragonland” – this is one of the main highlights for me, as this is one relentless track. Another high point comes in the song “Emerald Kingdom”, with it’s pounding rhythms, the all around great vocal performances and the impressive and underrated guitar work of Michael Fiori. Other highlights include: “Eternal Life”, “Akasha” and “Despair”. The vibe running through the CD is definitely dark – both musically and lyrically and there is no denying the talent of this band.Black Knight Symfonia has released a solid debut with “Heavenly Chaos” it has an epic, battle metal feel to it and it does play like a movie soundtrack at times, the three vocals styles meld nicely together. Michael Fiori and crew put a lot of work and dedication into this CD and it shows, not only are his guitar skills quite impressive, but his production is crystal clear. For those who like dark metal with a movie soundtrack feel to it, than you can’t lose with Black Knight Symfonia. There is beauty in darkness and Black Knight Symfonia is living proof of that.

Rating – 80/100

Tracklist

1. Glorification of the Dead
   
2. Dark Era
   
3. Chevalier Noir
4. Dragonland
5. Emerald Kingdom
6. Voyage Initiatique
7. Eternal Life
8. Akasha
9. Hell on Earth
10. Despair
11. Eternal Life (Instrumental Version) (Bonus Track)
12. Dragonland (Orchestral Version) (Bonus Track)

Line Up

• Adelaide “Arya” Allard de Stave –  Soprano Vocals
• Anaïs “Nymphadora” Chevallier – Heavy Vocals
• Micheal “Saga” Fiori – Guitars, Bass, Male & Extreme Vocals, Synths & Orchestral Arrangements
• Leviathan – Drums