LUTHARO – Chasing Euphoria
Release Date: 15th March 2024
Label: Atomic Fire Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal.
FFO: Arch Enemy, Hiraes, Infected Rain, Swansong, Death Dealers Union,
Review By: Mark Waight
Canadian Melodic Metal band LUTHARO are back once again with their superb sophomore album, Chasing Euphoria, that follows along exactly where their critically acclaimed 2021 debut, Hiraeth, left off. If you like the destructive and violent sound of Death Metal combined with the captivating and artfully crafted melodies of Power Metal, then you are in for a real treat as LUTHARO hit the metaphoric nail firmly on the head.
LUTHARO is Krista Shipperbottom (vocals), Victor Bucur (guitar), John Raposo (guitar), Chris Pacey (bass) and Cory Hofing (drums).
Chasing Euphoria is a flat out pedal to the metal album where the power and intensity never lets up even for a moment, so dust off your air guitar and stretch those neck muscles ready for a good LUTHERO style workout.
I was waiting for a great white shark to sink its teeth into me during the intro tune Gates of enchantment, but thankfully it was only myself who bit as the music rolled neatly into Reapers Call, and I was hooked by the fast and furious voyage into the world of LUTHARO. This super heavy song will leave you completely breathless with its depth and quality.
Growl fest Ruthless Bloodline shows just what Krista Shipperbottom can do as she seamlessly switches between brutal and clean vocals with apparent ease. A superb display of intricate guitar work is the cherry on the cake. Time to Rise swiftly picks up the baton and drives us on with another devastating display of light/dark fused Metal, delivered with that full-on sledgehammer power designed to get your pulse beating hard.
Pure Power Metal tune, Born to Ride is a little more subtle, but that really does not distract from it being an absolutely banging song which is guaranteed to have you singing along, plus there is a classic bit of guitar interplay to enhance your enjoyment even further. Continuing that more traditional theme, Bonded to the Blade superbly combines the old and the new to great effect, with some deft touches of modern Metal blended with a finger tingling guitar solo that will definitely brighten your day.
Title track Chasing Euphoria steams through like a freight train as the pace cranks up from quick to almost light speed. This song just hits so hard and the dualling lead guitars are simply to die for, what a solid gold band performance. How can LUTHARO follow that? Well, with Creating a King, that’s how! Super quick and brutal to its core, this composition will grab you by the scruff and totally shake you down!
Strong Enough to Fall is an edgy modern “riff-tastic” tune with an old school heart. This is bang on point and a very fine piece of music indeed! Paradise or Parasite is not a question I often ask, but this song really does get inside your head like a very hungry earworm, so I guess it’s both. A cracking song with some lovely symphonic elements, too.
Freedom of the Night brings the curtain down sweetly with a slow as you go start before things heat up, and all hell breaks loose. Finally, to close things off, everything comes down a notch or two during a very satisfactory finish.
What can I say after that? Well only that Chasing Euphoria is a truly excellent album in my opinion with every song a sure-fire winner that stands up very well to individual scrutiny with not a single filler in sight. LUTHARO have indeed chased euphoria, tracked it down, captured it and tamed it in this superb new release, so make sure you check it out and add it to your playlist! Highly recommended.
(4.5 / 5)
