Elyna Khan
What follows dissonates with what I’m used to saying about music. I usually don’t write a single word if an album or a band’s work doesn’t fully connect with my sensibilities. But this time, I’ll make an exception: Æternia and their new album Into The Golden Halls. I’m doing it because sometimes we need to be sincere enough to admit that what first sounds like a great record… might not actually be one. And that it’s often smarter not to step into territories we haven’t mastered yet — no matter how much we want to experiment or push for artistic perfection, especially when we already do certain things really well.
The press release mentions that the album was recorded and produced entirely by Æternia itself — a bold but risky move. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite pay off. Melodically, the album shows huge potential, but as a whole, Into The Golden Halls struggles with precision, vocal phrasing, and compositional coherence. It’s one of those cases where great ideas are there, but the execution doesn’t fully support them.
From the opening track “Ascending,” the band clearly shows their influences — a mix of Kamelot, early Metallica, and Judas Priest — with masterful guitar work and ambition to spare. It opens the door to what could’ve been an amazing journey… at least in theory. The problem is that ambition doesn’t replace precision. You can really hear that in “Five Rode Forth.” On the first listen, it channels the energy of classic 80s Heavy Metal with some Thrash-influenced drumming, but then the bridge before the final chorus tries to go progressive and ends up breaking the rhythm. The idea was bold, but the execution didn’t quite land.
The same issue appears in “The Descendant.” Some of the drum rolls sound more chaotic than progressive, throwing the listener off — even though it’s otherwise one of the most solid and enjoyable songs here. Vocally, Into The Golden Halls swings between big potential and rough results. Daniele Gelsomino has a powerful and beautiful tone, especially when he sings softly without too much head resonance — like in the bridge of “Lay of Hildebrand,” one of the best and most coherent tracks on the record. Here, Daniele shines and brings that emotional vibe of old-school ballads by Poison, White Lion, or even Skid Row. Still, he needs to refine his technique a bit to keep his pitch stable during the high notes and match his phrasing more tightly with the rhythm. It’s nothing tragic — just the kind of detail that separates a good performance from a great one.
Another problem lies in how the songs flow. The transitions between tracks are abrupt, making the album feel disconnected. I know Into The Golden Halls isn’t meant to be a concept record, but even in Power Metal, smooth flow and narrative pacing matter. This genre thrives on storytelling, and even when the album isn’t conceptual, the songs should still feel linked. Here, it often sounds like a collection of cool parts from different sessions rather than a single unified work. Sometimes I even felt like I was listening to a greatest-hits compilation instead of a debut album.
Still, despite all these issues, Into The Golden Halls hides some genuinely great songs. “Forged in Fire,” “Lay of Hildebrand,” “The Descendant,” “Dragon’s Gaze,” “Trial by Fire and Water,” and “Lightbringer (Fall of the Church)” could easily become Power Metal anthems if they were refined a bit more. The melodies are strong, the emotion is real, and the foundation is there — it just needs tightening. Sound-wise, the production quality is solid. Everything feels fairly balanced, though the drums are slightly louder than necessary. For a self-produced debut, that’s actually impressive. Æternia deserves credit for taking such a risk — recording and producing your own first album takes guts (and probably some insomnia).
In the end, Into The Golden Halls is a good lesson on how artistic ambition must be balanced with technical discipline and collaboration. There’s plenty of talent here — great melodic ideas, a solid vision, and tons of passion — but also a reminder that even the best artists benefit from external production guidance. If Æternia keeps their creative spirit intact and lets a pro handle the studio side, their next release could be the kind of Power Metal storm they’re clearly capable of making.
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Release date: October 17, 2025
Website: https://aeternia.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-golden-halls
Country: Germany
Score: 3.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 