The end of the year is upon us, and I still have a few albums I’d like to review. One of them is a recent discovery for me, the debut from Ylisia. I’m not even sure how I happened upon the record, but it’s really grabbed me. The album is called Underneath and it released back on January 18th.
Ylisia comes to us from the Netherlands. I’ll admit that the striking cover art is what drew me to the album—I’ve never seen anything like it. The band lineup includes Liesbeth Cordia on vocals, George van Olffen on keyboards, Martijn de Zeeuw on guitars, Tim Hoogervorst on bass, and Eva Levina on drums.
The band plays bright and melodic symphonic metal. I’d say it borders on both gothic metal and alternative rock at times, so think more Delain than Nightwish or Epica. There is no denying the big voice that Liesbeth has, and some of the best moments come when she simply reels back and unleashes her vocals into the air. The guitars have a nice crunch to them, too, and I’d say the keys have progressive rock influence, which is interesting. The whole band performs well.
Underneath feels like two halves that each have one 10/10 song surrounded by good to great tunes. The first half contains the title track “Underneath”; it has the humongous chorus that will make you want to sing your heart out, plus the soulful guitar solo to wrap it up with a nice, tidy bow. Around it are songs like “Pain”, one I like more for the symphonic swell and riffy tone than for the chorus; or “Tell Me”, a streaming, glistening tune with fantastic vocals and echoing harmonies.
The second half has “Labyrinth”, a reserved piece with reluctant riffs, delicate piano, and another towering chorus. The band is so good at leading us to the threshold, and then letting Liesbeth’s voice launch the song into the stratosphere. Around it are songs like “September”, a beautiful piece with gothic tone and musing vocals; or “You”, a flat-out awesome song that displays the band’s heavy side, and that features some pretty amazing keyboards in the second part. I do rather like the closer “Catchy My Breath”, which feels like a half ballad, half rocking piece from the mid-2000s. I’ll admit that Liesbeth’s vocals remind me of Catherine Nyland of Mortal Love, and so maybe that’s why I hear the music this way.
I think Ylisia has plenty of potential. There are a few roughshod moments on the album, but nothing that detracts from the overall experience, and nothing compared to the consistent highs they deliver. This album will make you want to sing out loud, chest-first.
____________
Find Ylisia online:
____________
____________
The PROG Mind 