Ah, Chile, ‘The country of poets’. In September 2020, this Chilean Melodic Heavy Metal band released their lyrically magnificent debut album The Mirror Star through Frontiers Music Srl.
James Robledo (Vocals) takes the lead on this album, as his vocal range is reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio and encapsulates the spiritual aura of Jon Bon Jovi.
The time is ripe for a band that is not quite heavy, hard metal or soft enough to be classic rock n’ roll.
They enter the musical arena at a time when there are tons of much harder, more progressive bands out there, yet those bands fail to communicate their lyrics effectively; because, their songs are not relatable, are disconnected from their audiences, and they lack the use of space to allow the song to emotionally breathe. This band is different.
Sinner’s Blood hits a home run with The Mirror Star by all accounts. The multi-instrumental virtuoso playing keys, backing vocals, and guitar is Nasson; and he helped to produce and craft the album starting in 2018 and wrapping it up alongside James (vocals), Nicolas (bass/vocals), and Guillermo (drums) in 2019.
What we get is a sensational masterpiece that is going to be hard to surpass at a later date. There are so many remarkable songs on this album that deserve introduction, but I’ll narrow it down to a few. Who I Am, starts out slower, and then builds the bass line.
Instrumentally, this is the most similar to an 80’s rock structured song. Going back to the basics and then building upon that foundation is the bread and butter of this band.
Who I Am is breathable and gives enough space to express emotion, contains enough ‘ups and downs’ or ‘twists and turns’ to keep the listener interested. This song consists of intricately woven layers of guitar, bass, and drums.
The Path of Fear, instrumentally, is the most aggressive song on the album. Its speed is consistently prolific, and the bass/guitar fingerwork is outrageous.
The drums (Guillermo Pereira) can be heard distinctively on The Mirror Star, as he is a trifecta of speed, power, and precision. Forever, the album’s single ballad, makes reference to The Mirror Star and ties the theme together nicely into a beautifully packaged gift.
The Mirror Star, as mentioned, are stars in the sky that are mirrored images, and sometimes, people don’t like their reflections. Pretty crafty. This album is a definite purchase!
Review by Jordonna Lobese for MPM
