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I won't lie I have a bit of a soft spot for Italy's Secret Sphere. I thought Heart & Anger was a very enjoyable album and while Sweet Blood Theory got some positive press I was never 100% sold. I don't contest its quality, I just felt the band could do better. And, well, they did.

I'm going to get the album's biggest fault out of the way before I give my praise. The first proper track, "Line on Fire," while cool and bounding with energy has a chorus blatantly lifted from Hammerfall's "Hearts on Fire" and stands as one of the worst cases of plagiarism I've heard this year, whether intentional or not.

Onwards and upwards, "Death From Above" reminds me quite a bit of the latest Labyrinth album, which is common throughout Archetype (Italian, duh). However I find it a good thing, and this time they opt to forsake the plagiarism. Everything you would look for in an Italian power metal album is right here, with that Secret Sphere injection of charm and raunchiness. The guys must have spent their time between Archtype and Sweet Blood Theory practicing their instruments night and day because there is a noticeable increase in musicianship.

It would be pointless to name standout tracks because from "Death From Above" to the closing of the title track the band maintain very high standard of quality, and I have to say this is the best album I've heard from Secret Sphere. The band sound and feel confident and proud, Aldo Lonobile's lead work is as always instantly identifiable, and of course ass-kicking. Ramon Messina is as marmite (???-Ed.) as ever, though for my money he's one of the finer examples of an Italian power metal singer.

All in all it's simple, if you like European-style power metal, particularly the Italian brand you owe it to yourself to hear this. If not, it's your loss.