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It's kind of weird that I've been reading interviews with this band for a couple of decades and didn't actually get around to checking them out until now. The band originally formed in 1979, but there's only bassist Yves Campion left, with the next oldest member having joined in 2004. This album sports new singer Madie, who joined in 2019.

Simply put, Aeternam is melodic heavy/power metal that packs a lot of punch. It has that European power metal sound that's been around since the early 2000s, with the expected speed, melody and catchiness, and Nightmare make sure to give the album a harder edge here and there with a few crunchy guitars riffs and some invigorating solos that call for you to dust off the air guitar. Madie has a clear, powerful and melodic voice that's soft or loud and powerful as the songs call for. I haven't heard their previous material, but the band sure found in her the perfect fit for the sound that they're going for at the moment.

Aeternam doesn't revolutionize anything, but it's a catchy and fun little slab of upbeat heavy/power metal with a darkish atmosphere.