Kilmara - Journey to the Sun

Angry Metal Guy

The 1980s was a decade that is often portrayed with a thick rose-tinted sheen in today’s media. Whether it was a better time during which to live or this idea was born from simple nostalgia I’ll leave to the reader’s discretion. The fact remains that tons of music artists–both inside and outside of the metal sphere–wear their 80s influence as prominently as Indiana Jones wears his signature fedora. Spanish melodic power metal band Kilmara is intent to join their ranks with Journey to the Sun, whose overarching theme centers around video game arcades at the height of popularity. Can they effectively combine the classic with the contemporary or is this a feeble remake? The only way to find out is to insert a few coins and press start.

Kilmara leveled up considerably after selecting yes at their last continue screen. While 2018’s Across the Realm of Time sanded off the unsightly edges of their early heavy/power metal to achieve a cleaner, more polished sound, it ultimately suffered from lackluster songwriting. On the title track of Journey to the Sun, Daniel Ponce sings, “Choose wisely who’s by your side.” Kilmara have taken their own advice to heart, bringing on guitarist/songwriter Carles Salse and drummer Eric Killer to power up the group. Their influence is palpable; this time around the vocals and guitars work in lockstep to sling sticky hooks and choruses, some of which became lodged in my brain after only a few listens. “Alliance of the Free” is my personal favorite, sprinkled with spirited guitar leads and an infectious chorus that elicits triumphant feelings.

Journey to the Sun derives much of its success from transmuting the simple and upbeat melodies common in retro video games to a modern power metal form. In this sense, Kilmara’s game plan is not dissimilar to that of Beast in Black’s science fiction aesthetic run through an 80s filter, the major difference being that Kilmara is very much guitar-centric in the same way as Fellowship or Evershine. There are several guitar leads in particular (“An Even Whole,” “Alliance of the Free,” “Wildfire”) that I can envision looping in the background of an arcade game stage. Synths are present, of course, but used with tasteful restraint. Another example of moderation is Ponce’s vocal delivery. While I wouldn’t call him a powerhouse, he wisely stays within his range in registers lower than one might commonly associate with power metal while still bringing plenty of character and charisma. His voice has a nasally yet gritty pop-punk texture which may not appeal to everyone, but it can ably carry a chorus in a manner that gives the record a definite poppy quality.

The tradeoff of being constrained to relatively simple melodies is that this Journey to the Sun thrusts or stalls according to the level of catchiness from song to song. From this standpoint, the album is front loaded with the strongest material, but everything after “Chances”–a bizarrely decent mashup of a power ballad and good, old-fashioned heavy metal–slowly atrophies in sticking power as the album progresses. To be clear, nothing in the back half is bad or even bland but the hooks aren’t as barbed, particularly in the choruses of “An Even Whole” and “Take Me Back.” The latter features singer Daniel Heiman (Lost Horizon, Sacred Outcry) in the Player 2 slot but probably shouldn’t have been a duet, as Heiman is obliged to uncharacteristically stick to lower pitches to not leave his partner behind. These are, perhaps, nitpicks, but with such a narrow win condition, Kilmara can’t afford much of a drop in their damage per second.

Kilmara shot for the Sun and, while they didn’t entirely stick the landing, I still consider the Journey a success. It’s undeniably derivative and straightforward (like much retro-themed music) but also endearingly earnest. Journey to the Sun is a pleasant, comfortable listen that should appeal to those who like their power metal with an extra helping of melody. Next time, I’d like to see Kilmara apply their songwriting talents to a less cliché concept than 80s nostalgia but, in any case, I look forward to their attempt to beat their personal high score.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Websites: roar-kilmara.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/kilmaraofficial
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2025

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