Conception is a Norwegian progressive metal band that had been founded in the late eighties and received some moderate success with four records throughout the nineties. Singer Roy Khan went on to join American power metal band Kamelot and achieved world wide acclaim. Many fans around the world now wanted to listen to his former band that reformed briefly for one single year but otherwise ceased activities. Everything seemed perfect for a return of the band when Roy Khan exited Kamelot nine years ago but he had been suffering from burn-out with depression and insomnia and decided to take a prolonged break from the musical business. Conception was revived two years ago without any pressure and released a creative extended play entitled My Dark Symphony. State of Deception is however the first regular studio album for the band in twenty-three years and it was worth the wait.

The Norwegian quartet is often classified as power metal, perhaps due to Roy Khan's involvement with Kamelot. However, Coneption is first and foremost a progressive metal band with a gothic atmosphere as one can hear instrumentally, read lyrically and even see visually by the different recent cover artworks. If you are expecting any power metal here, you have to look elsewhere.

Conception's intellectual style isn't always easy to digest and the opening ''Of Raven and Pigs'' is a perfect example. It's quite meaningful that the band opens the album with its least accessible tune. However, this song also turns out being the best of the bunch after multiple spins. This song includes more changes, experiments and ideas than other bands put into entire albums. Stoic, sinister and repetitive riffs meet highly atmospheric keyboard layers and vocals varying from lower register over passionate higher parts to energetic spoken-word passages. Despite the song's multiple ideas, the transitions in between them are fluid, organic and smooth and make for one of the greatest progressive gothic metal songs in recent memory.

For those who prefer songs with more commercial appeal without sounding predictable, the wonderful ballad ''The Mansion'' delivers the goods and reminds of Kamelot's Poetry for the Poisoned ten years ago. Wonderful piano harmonies underline Roy Khan's emotional vocals that are complemented by Amaranthe's vocalist Elize Ryd who adds an enchanting, fragile and thoughtful performance that doesn't overstay its welcome. This is simply one of the most beautiful rock or metal ballads recorded in recent memory.

If you prefer something catchier among the creative progressive songwriting, give the cinematic ''Anybody Out There'' a chance. The song convinces with timeless orchestral symphonic work that gives Roy Khan the occasion to unfold his entire potential. The song is crowned by a mellow yet epic chorus you won't get out of your mind anytime soon.

The record closes almost as ambitiously as it had started however. ''She Dragoon'' opens smoothly with electronic keyboard passages before fragile vocals kick in. The song quickens up the pace as bass, drums and guitars join. The vocals unfold progressively and become quite expressive. The keyboard sounds transition from electronic elements towards symphonic sounds as the song becomes more and more dramatic. The wonderful guitar solos in the middle part are certainly the highlights of this emotive song. The band however offers even more ideas as female backing vocals join for an exciting finale. This complex, emotional and intelligent song grows with every spin and comes as a close second for best song on this release.

To conclude, Conception's State of Deception isn't only a return for the band but one of the best progressive gothic metal albums ever written and a shining highlight even in Roy Khan's extensive career. The record might need some time, dedication and attention to fully unfold but is very rewarding in that regard and has high replay value. The only negative element is that fans only get thirty-one minutes of music if we don't consider the short instrumental overture and the closing tune that had already been released one and a half years ago. Still, short excellence is certainly the better option than prolonged mediocrity. Let's hope the band continues to stick around and releases more magical music in the future.

Final rating: 90%

Loviatar's second regular studio record Lightless comes around with six tunes and a total running time of thirity-eight minutes. If compared to the self-titled predecessor, this album is less ambitious, epic and intellectual which is actually positive because the six songs work well on their own, have excellent flow and are much easier to digest than the songs released three years ago.

The band has kept all its fascinating trademarks. Steady drum passages and gloomy bass guitar sounds meet psychedelic guitar layers and hypnotizing vocals. The muddy old-fashioned production blends in appropriately. This entire concept works particularly well in the dramatic ''Silica'' that stands out as the record's most emotional track as well as in the sluggishly meandering ''Horse in Thrall'' that emerges as album highlight after multiple spins.

The doom metal quartet from Ottawa also manages to offer some experiments without abandoning its atmospheric concept and psychedelic vibes. The fast and heavy tune ''Cave In'' is certainly the most accessible song and would be a solid choice for an underground radio single. ''All the Witches You Failed to Burn'' is a wonderful instrumental effort with almost folkloristic acoustic guitar sounds, tribal drums and smoothly distorted electric guitar sound that provide a mysterious atmosphere. Album closer and title song ''Lightless'' combines all the band's strengths from a sluggish instrumental overture over fragile transitions to desperate outbursts with steady rhythm section, highly experimental guitar play and desperate vocals. Despite its length cracking the ten-minute mark, the song has decent flow and doesn't overstay its welcome.

In the end, Loviatar's second full length effort Lightless is a slight improvement over the more complex predecessor. The album cover evokes the record's gloomy, mysterious and psychedelic atmosphere splendidly. If you like sludge metal, psychedelic rock, progressive rock and doom metal, you should give Ottawa's best-kept secret a few spins. Please note that the album is only available digitally and on vinyl so far but here's hope that the band and its label will release a CD version to give fans the chance to complete their collections.

Final rating: 88%

After having witnessed Wolfheart in concert not too long ago, I was determined to check out one of the regular studio albums released by the Finnish melodic death metal quartet. New record Wolves of Karelia comes at a welcome moment in times of confinement and quarantine. This album stylistically represents everything the band stands for, offers eight tracks with a consistent running time of forty-two minutes and the beautiful cover artwork deserves an honourable mention as well.

There are two things that stand out regarding this album. It's interesting to note that the rhythm section consisting of bass guitar and drums doesn't always play at the same pace as guitars and vocals in numerous tunes. The rhythm section is often fast and relentless while the guitar riffs and vocals are mid-paced to evoke epic storytelling. This almost progressive approach shines through in strong opener ''Hail of Steel'' for instance.

Another remarkable element are the numerous prolonged atmospheric instrumental passages. Album highlight ''The Hammer'' offers diversified entertainment with multiple changes, ideas and transitions but the wonderful instrumental coda slows things down and gives the occasion to digest the things one has just heard.

Instrumental tune ''Eye of the Storm'' isn't impressive from a technical point of view but convinces with gloomy atmosphere of cinematic dimensions. The combination between folkloristic acoustic guitar melodies and melancholic piano sounds works particularly well. One can almost imagine a group of warriors standing in an icy field and getting prepared for the decisive battle.

In the end, Wolfheart's Wolves of Karelia offers imaginative epic melodic death metal that convinces most in its slightly progressive approaches and solemn instrumental passages. The album grows with every spin and would make for a wonderful soundtrack to a movie about a historical war in ice and snow.

Final rating: 80%

One could have seen this coming for a long period of time. After eliminating the shining star Tarja Turunen along side him, Nightwish has gradually been transformed into a Tuomas Holopainen solo project. While second singer Anette Olzon briefly brought an energetic, fresh and rocking tone to the band, she was quickly kicked out of the band as well. Nightwish released its own movie eight years ago along with its own soundtrack, Tuomas Holopainen released a bloated solo album and the last Nightwish studio album released five years ago underused third singer Floor Jansen and featured a twenty-four minute long overtly pretentious love letter to our planet instead. Nightwish's mastermind has now pushed things to the limit on the annoyingly entitled Human. :||: Nature.

Opener ''Music'' essentially starts with five minutes of sound samples and keyboard melodies. The singer is allowed to make a brief appearance after three minutes. The rest of the band only starts getting significantly involved beyond the four-minute mark and the chorus kicks in after five minutes. This song exemplifies the order of priority in Nightwish anno 2020. Tuomas Holopainen comes first, at a certain point the singer gets involved but not too much to not be given the opportunity to shine and the other musicians are degraded to hired guns as folk instrumentalist Troy Donockley is even given more significant play time than the members of old date on bass, drums and guitars.

This new album explores all the soundscapes Tuomas Holopainen has been admiring for far over a decade now. Tribal drums, Irish instruments and shanty vibes dominate ''Harvest'', electronic samples meet folk instruments and symphonic tones in the vapid ballad ''Procession'' and as if one love letter to our planet one the previous output hadn't been enough, this record features a sleep-inducing instrumental tune entitled ''All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World'' separated into eight parts clocking in at thirty-one minutes on a separate disc. Tuomas Holopainen seems to think he is a contemporary reincarnation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart but he isn't even reaching the quality of Therion's mastermind Christofer Johnsson.

To be fair, the album has few redeeming values in form of the diversified epic ''Endlessness'' that recalls what Nightwish was once known, respected and even adored for one and a half decades ago or the comforting power ballad ''How's the Heart?'' that finds a solid balance between symphonic soundscapes, folk instrumentation and rock elements.

There is one term you haven't read in my description so far: metal. I don't mind if a band plays a different genre and abandons traditional metal sounds but what once was the world's most important symphonic metal band has abandoned all its aggressive, energetic and unchained elements. The drummer can mostly relax during overlong symphonic passages and keyboard experimentation. The bass guitar is nearly inaudible throughout the album. The guitar work is reduced to chugging mallcore riffs and two or three brief solos throughout eighty-two minutes of music. This release doesn't have anything to do with symphonic metal and almost nothing with symphonic rock. This is a bloated, boring and pretentious symphonic folk soundtrack that could be used for a Walt Dinsey movie. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate classical music and soundtracks but not if they sound as syrupy, cheesy and attention-seeking as this one.

There are only two options to save Nigtwish's reputation established throughout its first six or perhaps seven studio albums. First of all, the bassist, drummer, guitarist and singer who are completely underused could leave the band and the upcoming records should be released as Tuomas Holopainen solo albums. Secondly, the rest of the band could attempt to kick Tuomas Holopainen out and finally go back to its roots. There doesn't seem to be any other way to save Nightwish's integrity, legacy and spirit as of now.

To conclude, Nightwish's eighty-two minute double-album is the most difficult rock or metal album to sit through since Metallica's and Lou Reed's collaboration on Lulu eight and a half years ago. Yes, there might have been worse albums by newcomer bands who aren't in full control of their instruments yet or uninspired veterans who cash in by rehashing repetitive ideas of the past but those albums were generally over after forty minutes. Nightwish's ninth's regular studio album is twice as long however and gets worse with every single minute. Ignore the exaggerated press releases and reviews guided by label Nuclear Blast. Nightwish's Human. :||: Nature. doesn't deserve any attention and will go down as one of the biggest disappointments in the history of metal music.

Final rating: 25%