Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Hailing from Athens, Greece, InnerWish have been plying their trade in the underground metal scene for over 20 years. This self-titled album is their fifth full length record although their first for around six years during which time there have been a number of changes to the lineup. There are also some genre changes, the band having been described as, among others, melodic metal, symphonic metal and power metal. Whilst they do demonstrate elements of all of these descriptions I would say that they largely stick to a classic heavy metal formula. The catchy opener "Roll The Dice" launches with breakneck speed drums and chugging guitar riffs which relent in the middle-eight before ripping out a technical guitar solo and racing on to the end of the track. The same formula can be found on a number of tracks. The symphonic side of the band is brought out through the layers of synth string and choral vocals built up to create atmosphere from the haunting sounds on "Broken" to the climactic synth string on closer "Tame The Seven Seas". This album doesn't just pummel you with riff after riff, offering a sprinkling of melodic ballads to give your ears time to recover. "Needles In My Mind" builds from a picked acoustic guitar intro, adding layers of guitars and strings complemented by powerful harmonic vocals whilst the delicate "Cross The Line" lays the vocals bare with just acoustic guitar for accompaniment. The lyrical themes largely focus on the struggles of man whilst pointing to the hope that can be found in God ("There's a light, the one you'll find/To comfort you and heal your scars"). The production is good and George Eikosipentakis puts in a strong vocal performance on his first album with InnerWish.

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