Arlechino is the new album from Romanian dark metallers Kratos and it’s a well-rounded release that looks set to do quite well for the talented band.
One of the strongest elements of this band’s sound is the orchestral sections featuring on the album. Masterfully constructed and performed, they fit perfectly into the music and certainly make for a more epic delivery as a result – for the most part, the songs sound absolutely massive and the flow is fantastic. A particularly good use of the symphonic elements comes in second track Fishing, has the symphonic sections paired up with a wonderfully heavy wall of guitars and the momentum it gives the music can’t be faulted.
However, the balance between the two different vocal styles does feel a little skewed at times, with more emphasis seeming to be given to the clean female ones rather than the harsh male ones, which is a shame because the harsh vocals sound incredible when juxtaposed against the more melodic elements of the band’s sound.
All in all, Arlechino is a good listen and whilst there may be room for improvement in parts, the high points make up for it and this is an album you’ll definitely want to revisit.
7/10
