An EP release from Truenemy comes through with a very impeccable and lush set of songs that range from haunting undertones, gothic themes, classic metal, alternative rock, and even cinematic and theatrical pieces, and it's all delivered with such an astounding performance, especially on the guitars that it all feels like chapters of a book or scenes of a film.
The Curse of the Lightning Ball EP is indeed more of a theatrical record that lets the songs play out like acts in a play, and this is something I find truly unique.
As this record unfolds, you get pulled into it. All that theatrical tonality, that intensity, the semi-orchestral approaches, and the in-depth pieces of music and performances really have a way of letting you get engulfed in this record.
So, you have two pieces of music that serve a lot more like interludes if you will and they are instrumental pieces that have themes to them, and you will know one of them as soon as you hear it.
The other is a beautiful blend of acoustic and electric guitars, synth pad strings, and this sort of adventurous underbelly, but again, this record is adventurous and does take you on that adventure with it.
However, I feel like this is part of the purpose of the release itself. To go on this theatrical sort of adventure through heavy rock.
This track is my favorite of the group because it is a cover of the dungeon theme from my favorite original old school video game of all time, The Legend of Zelda.
I cannot explain enough how this piece put a smile on my face and a very particular and unique way.
Now, the other two tracks that lay in between those themed cinematic ones are alternative and metal singles that also have that adventurous, and storytelling theme so when you pay attention to the lyrics the story actually unfolds for you.
But these tracks hit hard and have a classic metal and rock backbone to them but still have that vastness and expansive tonality so that you still get wrapped up in not just the story but the music of it as well.
The story and the music are what make this special and the combination of those two things is the adventure as a whole.
These songs were put together with a lot of attention to detail but the best part about it is that it never loses that theme, the character, the personality, or the story. It's all intact throughout the entire course of the EP and that's part of what blows me away about this thing.
I cannot express how outstanding the guitar work is throughout this record because it's not just the revs or the acoustic stuff, it's the lead guitar stuff, harmonies, and the way they are used and layered to create an atmosphere and build the soundscapes is just amazing.
You can hear a lot of real-deal classic '90s and early 2000s, even '80s kind of heavier metal influences flowing in and out of this record and I feel like part of this is like a love letter to those bands that this whole project was influenced by in the first place.
Some of these songs feel like they were recorded live on the floor because the energy levels of them really have an ebb and flow to them, so you get these waves of intensity that combat down, amazing arrangements and composition, some of the songs even feel like they were orchestral to an extent and that is due to how they were arranged.
The thing is, this wasn't recorded live on the floor because as far as I can tell most or even all of this stuff was recorded and performed by one man.
Truenemy is the brainchild of Paul Vuocolo and we know that he sings and performs the guitars at the least. But we also know he writes and composes everything puts it all together and has full control of his vision.
The EP as a whole includes one original which is the title track "Curse of The Lightning Ball" and it sets the tone and does an outstanding job of showcasing the abilities of this project.
Most definitely take a deep dive into this EP because it's outstanding. A set of amazingly performed covers and its original track that all come together to perform whole piece, and it works perfectly.