The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard
Release Date: 10th January 2025
Label: Nuclear Blast
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, The Haunted, At the Gates.
Review By: Ceta
The Halo Effect is a band with a short career but a long history. There’s no denying the talent in its ranks or that their previous material was engaging, melodic death metal. However, there’s always the risk of ending up with something derivative when dealing with so much experience – especially in a genre that tends to rely on a solid and reliable formula. So, I approached March of the Unheard with a healthy amount of skepticism. Yet, I still hoped it would blow me away!
While the Gothenburg sound is already pretty welcoming to most metalheads, The Halo Effect takes it further with tracks that are fast, catchy, and loaded with melodic hooks. The vocals range from guttural growls to emotive clean singing, creating a dynamic listening experience. It’s like extreme metal distilled to its purest essence. Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but there’s something soothing about its straightforward approach. If you’ve enjoyed the recent output from Dark Tranquillity, March offers a similar vibe – but with a heavier, more metallic edge.
The album gives off the impression of a group of lost teenagers channeling their emotions through music, yet it shares many similarities with the stylistic shifts Dark Tranquillity took last year. There’s a greater emphasis on atmosphere and the melancholy behind the music, rather than just the aggressive bursts that were more common in the early careers of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. In a way, The Halo Effect is following closely in the footsteps of its sibling bands, while still staying more rooted in the melodic death metal label – which, in my book, is a positive thing.
That said, the album isn’t without its shortcomings. It suffers from a common issue with the later Gothenburg style: the songs tend to blur together. While the tracks are strong individually, they often follow a similar formula, making the album feel more like a collection of standalone pieces than a cohesive whole. Depending on your perspective, that could be a feature rather than a flaw – it’s easy to pick favorite tracks and skip the rest. Still, I personally enjoy albums that work as unified pieces of art, and this one doesn’t quite achieve that level of coherence.
So, if you want to relive the glory days of the Gothenburg sound, I believe this is a good album to do so. However, don’t expect a reinvention of the style. The Halo Effect knows what they’re good at, and I’d even dare to say this is the music they genuinely enjoy making. It’s up to you to take it or leave it.
(3.5 / 5)
