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In these days of genre-crossing and boundary-pushing, it is refreshing to encounter a band who are what they are and don't try to be anything else. Pythia are a Symphonic Power Metal band in the mold of female-fronted acts like Magica and Operatika in a lineage that goes all the way back to Oceanborn-era Nightwish. The riffs are solid, the keys are good, and new vocalist Sophie Dorman has an impressive range. There are no nods to anything pop or goth, and this is defiantly Power Metal all the way through.

The other refreshing thing is that this is so good. For an unsigned band—albeit one with three previous albums under their belts—the songwriting and production are all first-rate. The musicianship is good, and the compositions are lively, with a lot of changes and twists and turns to keep them interesting. Overall this is a really classy example of a subgenre that does not seem to be as popular as it used to be, but bands this good could bring it back.