Kells France

"Kells are normally categorized as a symphonic metal band, and perhaps their earlier releases are symphonic (I dont know because this is the first Kells album I've heard), but this one is not symhponic at at all. The style on "Anachromie" falls somewhere between alternative metalb and metalcore with groove and melody being the key components.

And, I think it is a quite good release, fronted by Virginie Goncalves' powerful and expressive vocals, ranging from soft singing over rock belting to harsh screaming - I especially like it when she goes off into oriental territory as in the introduction of 'Illusion D'Une Aire'. The sound is slightly minimalist at times, and also quite unpolished, which I actually think is a plus.

As mentioned above, there is a lot of emphasis on groove, and these guys are very good at coming up with groovy and hard rocking riffs - which go well together with Goncalves vocal lines; the choruses are typically quite melodic, so there is some potential for commercial appeal, too. I also quite like the way that the rhythm section works in terms of groove and dynamics (there really is a tight chemistry between the drums and the bass).

There's lots of groove on this album, and fans of both groovy metal and melodic metal should check it out.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)"