▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Borealis ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Offering █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-04-24 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: AFM Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ BOREALIS is a Canadian power metal band. ôThe █ █ Offeringö is the fourth studio album from the █ █ band. It follows up the re-recording of BOREALISÆ █ █ debut album ôWorld of Silenceö in 2017. ôThe Fire █ █ Between Usö begins with a nice melody with a █ █ smattering of heavy riff. The track picks up the █ █ speed with a barrage of drums but manages to stay █ █ very melodic. The vocals come in as the song slows █ █ down which is good because the vocals are very █ █ tame but match that part of the song well. The █ █ music is good but sometimes feels all over the █ █ place, jumping from very slow to heavy and fast █ █ paced. █ █ █ █ The title track ôThe Offeringö begins with a very █ █ crunchy guitar riff. The drums are on point as █ █ well and blend nicely with the heavy guitar. The █ █ vocals again are clean and never stray from that █ █ style. The vocalist keeps pace with the riffs. █ █ Overall a good song, you will find yourself █ █ headbanging to this track. ôThe Second Sonö gets █ █ more experimental as the band opens up the sound █ █ to be more atmospheric. Unfortunately, it doesnÆt █ █ keep that grandness up throughout the song. The █ █ chorus is very big but in between it is like the █ █ sound becomes less. I would have liked to hear the █ █ grand sound throughout the entire track. The █ █ vocals match up nicely with riffs in the chorus, █ █ giving the song even more depth. █ █ █ █ ôThe DevilÆs Handö is a beautiful slow song. The █ █ song comes in with a nice calm guitar riff. It is █ █ joined by what I think was a violin or cello. The █ █ inclusion of this gives the song even more weight █ █ as it and the guitar meld wonderfully together. █ █ The vocals are nice and subdued to match the █ █ music. This track is my favorite on the album, █ █ even though it isnÆt a hard song. I think the band █ █ pulls the song off beautifully. ôScarlet Angelö is █ █ another subdued song from the band. It is a slow █ █ burn to the chorus line when the riff kicks in and █ █ you have a proper power metal song on your hands. █ █ There isnÆt much I can say is wrong with this nice █ █ track. █ █ █ █ BOREALIS ends the album with ôThe Ghosts of █ █ Innocenceö. ItÆs a massive song of eight plus █ █ minutes that begins with some amazing piano. The █ █ song lulls with the softness and slowness of the █ █ piano before screaming out with heavy guitars and █ █ vocals. The vocals on this track are shared with a █ █ female vocalist that makes the song take on a █ █ whole new level. This is a proper song to end the █ █ album on, it has that grand power metal feel to █ █ it, and at no time did the runtime get to me. █ █ Overall, I enjoyed this album from BOREALIS. The █ █ band had some really nice tracks on the album. █ █ They didnÆt do anything new or change the power █ █ metal sound in any way, but I think anyone that █ █ likes that sound will enjoy this album. With its █ █ good mixture of slow ballads and power songs I █ █ would definitely recommend this album. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. The Fire Between Us 4:41 ░ ░ 2. Sign of No Return 5:05 ░ ░ 3. The Offering 5:08 ░ ░ 4. River 4:44 ░ ░ 5. The Second Son 5:34 ░ ░ 6. The Devil's Hand 3:58 ░ ░ 7. Into the Light 5:24 ░ ░ 8. Scarlet Angel 5:24 ░ ░ 9. The Awakening 5:06 ░ ░ 10. The Path 2:18 ░ ░ 11. Forever Lost 5:07 ░ ░ 12. The Ghosts of Innocence 8:45 ░ ░ 61:14 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░