I usually spend a couple of hours of my day getting to know new Metal bands. It’s a practice I enjoy a lot. Naturally, this practice entails listening for the first time to bands that, in many cases, leave you with the happiness of having chosen to listen to them. And well, that’s what happened to me with this first full-length album by ÆTERNIA, a Heavy / Power Metal band from Germany that I had no idea about. I must confess that I don’t get along very well with any domain (or subdomain) in Metal that carries the word “Power”, but well, I decided to check out this band, and my limitations and prejudices were reduced to absurdity. A great musical work by a band that wasn’t on my radar. I like being wrong in these kinds of situations. I tend to be very rigid, but I also enjoy it when this happens. Getting to know ÆTERNIA’s music has been a slap in the face for me. Yes, the typical elements of these types of bands: a galloping rhythm, masterful and highly virtuous guitars circulating around a high, strong, powerful voice. I’ve always believed that the main instrument in non-instrumental music is the voice. So, it’s the first instrument I’ll pay attention to to continue listening (or not) to a Metal band. At times, I heard in this album certain strokes of vocal work that took me to the great Ronnie James Dio, without that meaning the album sounds like DIO. Influences? Having passed that test, I then immerse myself in the music, the structures, the atmosphere, the melody, the solos and the virtuosity, which, for me, is the backbone of Heavy Metal. Guitars have to be virtuous, period. And well, that doesn’t mean the work of the other musical components, like the bass, the drums or the keyboards, lacks importance. I myself am a bass lover. I believe the bass is the “floor” upon which that building called music is constructed. And the drums are like a compass that guides us to where the band wants to take us. Here, on “Into The Golden Halls”, ÆTERNIA, everyone plays a crucial role. In short, I had a very pleasant surprise getting to know ÆTERNIA. It must be listened to. More information here: www.facebook.com/aeterniaofficial, www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic