Symphonic power metal band Alterium release an ep filled with songs that will drive anticipation for their next full length.
Symphonic power metal with strong female vocals is a very European thing and fittingly, Alterium from Italy was founded in late 2022 by Nicoletta Rossellini (ex Kalidia, Walk in Darkness) with former bandmates, guitarist Paolo Campitelli and drummer Dario Gozzi, bringing in guitarist Alessandro Mammola and bass player Luca Scalabrin to complete the lineup. Their debut album, Of War and Flames was released in 2024 on AFM Records followed by a series of videos and singles garnering the band millions of views on YouTube and plays on Spotify. The band went on to play ProgPower USA in 2025 and landed slots in festivals across the US and Europe. In summer 2025, the band released the Stormrage ep which ended up on several Spotify playlists and in the fall landed them a supporting spot on Fabio Lione’s Dawn of Victory European tour.
The title track “Stormrage” opens up the ep and is one of two original tracks with the other being “Sui”. A cover of “Paradise Lost” (Symphony X) and an orchestral version of the title track from their debut album “Of War and Flames” round out the tracks.
“Stormrage” opens up with a heavy bias toward the orchestral side but the rhythm section comes in quickly and provides a solid foundation that comes more into its own during the verse sections when the orchestral elements are more muted. In the mix, the orchestral elements tend to dominate when present, which is not my favorite approach, but obviously just a personal opinion. Vocals are mostly in the middle of the range with some brief shifts to the upper end and are backed at times as well. Overall a solid symphonic power metal track with a well incorporated short guitar solo that works within the song.
“Sui” starts out with some acoustic guitar foundation and layered solo over the top that then goes into feedback and a fast dark riff accented by the orchestral elements and the superfast double bass drums driving the track. This song emphasizes the fast power metal over the orchestral elements. Nicoletta Rossellini’s vocals stay mostly mid-range again with some brief flourishes and near spoken parts. Some of the bridge parts remind me of DragonForce, so you get the idea. Here again, a well-constructed guitar solo provides a good transition between parts of the track.
The Symphony X cover “Paradise Lost” allows Rossellini to showcase more of her range, starting out deeper with a piano driven opening joined by drums and bass before guitars come in. Other than the piano, the guitars and drums carry much of this song with the orchestral elements taking a bit of a break. As expected the orchestral version of “Of War and Flames” is just that, heavy on the orchestral elements but this also allows Rossellini to explore more range with her ethereal and strong vocals, the the overall arrangement is very well done.
The Stormrage ep provides a little bit of everything for fans of the band’s previous work and those new to the band. Symphonic power metal elements and strong vocals on full display on all the tracks with lush arrangements on the new songs and on the Symphony X cover and orchestral version sure to set high expectations for their next full length.
Rating: 7.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist
1. Stormrage
2. Sui
3. Paradise Lost (Symphony X cover)
4. Of War and Flames (Orchestral version)
Release date: July 25th, 2025
Record Label: AFM Records
Band Members
Nicoletta Rosellini – Vocals
Alessandro Mamola – Guitars
Paolo Campitelli – Guitars
Dario Gazzi – Drums
Luca Scalabrin – Bass
Video for “Stormrage”:
Video for “Paradise Lost”:
Lyric video for “Sui”:
Weblinks
Band site: https://www.alterium.band/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alterium.band
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alterium.band
X: https://twitter.com/alterium_band
TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@alterium.band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alteriumband