ARTHEMIS – Back From The Heat

Back from the Heat is Arthemis’ fourth album, not including Return to the Church of the Holy Ghost, the 2005 rerecorded release of their first album, from 1999. The Italian quintet evoke the musicality and melodic spirit that was predominant in Heavy Metal before Nu-Metal cast its death-to-the-guitar-solo shadow over the Popular Metal music scene. That original spirit never died, however, and Arthemis embodies every bit of it.

Unlike Arthemis’ previous album, Golden Dawn (Underground Symphony, 2003), Back from the Heat does not include any songs that could be characterized as essentially dark — which is unexpected, given the gothic album cover of horrific skeleton-like monsters surrounding a ravishing warrior-princess-babe, scantily clad in leather and mesh fetish wear (no complaint here, mind you). All of the songs are generally upbeat (except for “The Vampire Strikes Back,” to some degree). While much of the lyrics deals with battles, there really are no songs with an ominous or dungeons-and-dragons feel, which would have brought variety to the album.

The music gets its heaviness from its speed and aggressiveness. Paolo Perazzani’s drumming and Matteo Galbier’s bass are reminiscent of that by Helloween and Masterplan. They set the pace for aggressive guitar power-chording laid down by Andrea Martongelli (also the songwriter) and Matteo Ballottari, who represent the core of the music’s personality. The rhythm/solo sections have the kind of punch and aggressiveness akin to the Dave Mustaine/Marty Friedman era of Megadeth. What’s more, Marty Friedman fans will relish Martongelli’s intense lead work, which often employs the type of silky, chromatic bends and phrasing for which Friedman is known (listen to “Only Your Heart Can Save Us,” “The Vampire Strikes Back,” and “Thunder Wrath”).

Alessio Garavello is very competent on vocals, although there is room for improvement this time around. While his range is impressive, and he exploits it in the best way possible, a more robust voice would better complement the power of the music. Overall, Alessio gives a solid performance, despite being a little too “girlie” at times.

The engineering and production quality do not do justice to the music. The recording generally lacks presence. A larger sound with more dimension would bring out the musical power. The fault in production is a minor criticism and does not take points away from the performance. It’s all the more reason to catch the band in concert.

Arthemis’ intensity is undeniable. Back from the Heat is a praiseworthy addition to their discography, although it does not have the variety of Golden Dawn, nor quite the strength in vocals. It could have benefited from the inclusion of a few dark songs, which would have brought needed contrast and made for a better album, on the whole. Nevertheless, Arthemis have proved themselves again as a band that can deliver high-energy riffs, memorable melodies, powerful drumming, intricate and interesting guitar solos, and a tenacious, upbeat spirit. Long live Arthemis!