Borealis is from Omaha and previously went by the name Frozen Embers. Neither band was on my radar at any point, but that's not a problem. The cover art definitely makes an impression. This is some very brightly-colored and very disturbing artwork. I was not really sure what to expect musically, maybe some kind of stoner doom/death metal fusion. That is definitely not what this sounds like though.
Borealis is much closer to a thrash metal band with some melodic death metal tendencies. The music is generally fast-paced with a load of riffs. Second track "Darkened Lights of Affinity" has some pretty awesome leads and soloing going on in the early moments before breaking into something akin to At the Gates-influenced metalcore groups like Killswitch Engage, Darkest Hour and Trivium. The energy is infectious and I frequently found myself nodding along to the riffs. The album is dynamic too, with slower sections breaking up the ever-going riff-fests in the faster tracks.
What is really surprising about this release is how polished it sounds. It is crisp and clear and sounds terrific. This is no raw recording of a brand new band. Even though this is the first release from this group, it is clear they have real talent and have honed their abilities somewhere along the way.
It is kind of a shame I am just now hearing this band. I would have enjoyed seeing them in concert.
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