ELFONÍA

Elfonia is a new Mexican band and this is their debut album. The music is atmospheric, simple progressive, and it has a folksy gothic approach. The most notable thing in this band is the fantastic female vocalist Marcela Bovio. She will put other female vocalists from the popular folk bands like Mostly Autumn and Karnataka to shame. Ok, maybe not to shame but her vocal delivery surpasses the other referred ladies without a doubt. I agree with the previous reviewer that the music presented here perhaps falls more in the Gothic Metal genre than progressive music but there are also enough Folk Prog elements to qualify the band in the Archives.

The album starts with "Eldalindale", one of the strongest tracks from the album and setting the mood for the remaining repertoire. Other highlights include "Dentro", "De Todas Mis Heridas" and "Alma Infinita". They remain truthful to their style in the whole album.

I would think that Elfonia appeals to people who like other folksy bands like Mostly Autumn. There is nothing really challenging in the music but it is very well done. The simplistic approach is not a bad thing but it gives a rather mainstream feel to it. This is the kind of music that could be played even in radio in many countries if they were famous. In the heavier moments it is somewhat comparable to groups like Evanescense minus the awful nu-metal influence and with a more atmospheric approach. However, if you expect some complexity you might find yourself bored with this album after a few spins.

This is a self-produced album but I'm sure this first offering will easily result in a contract with a record label.

Conclusion: A nice debut!