It has been a pretty great year for symphonic metal so far. Legends Epica released a killer new album, Moonlight Haze’s latest is awesome, newcomers Tales of Time blew me away with their debut EP, and Crown Solace’s latest single has me excited for their new material. But an album I had been highly anticipating hit extra hard. After falling in love with their 2022 release “Dreamland – Behind the Shades,” Swiss symphonic metallers Deep Sun recently released their latest full length, “Storyteller,” and I am totally enamored.

This album is bombastic and theatrical in all the right ways, taking you on a symphonic metal journey that is worthy of its title. It starts with the incredible vocals of Debora Lavagnolo, a classic operatic siren that can soar into the stratosphere while adding plenty of oomph and edge. She adapts her vocal approach so well to the song’s progression at any given point, while adding a grandiose cinematic feel that sends it over the top. The guitar work is fantastic, with power riffing, slick solos, and softer parts that change up the feel and add rich textures to the songs. The orchestration is super well done, adding to the theatrical feel, and the drumming just feels big, even when the pace slows. The melodies and harmonies are constructed beautifully and are memorable. The album does a great job balancing heavy and melodic and is knit together by the theatrics, delivering an outstanding slate of songs that work perfectly as part of the larger whole.

The title track is a standout, opening the album with theatrical flair and showing you that this is a symphonic metal album to be reckoned with its big feel, great use of symphonics, driving pace, and soaring massive vocals. There is great use of dynamic and tempo changes, creating epic atmosphere that allows the orchestration and guitars to show off while Debora’s vocals take center stage and simply blow you away.

The bass starts off in style on “Tales That Should Never Have Been Told,” an ominous sounding piece that features great guitar work, haunting piano, perfectly timed theatrics, epic choir, and a late key change! Driving anthem “United Force” has an earworm of a chorus and features one of my favorite vocalists, Meek (of Visions of Atlantis and Temperance fame) joining Debora on vocals. The chemistry here very much reminds of how he melds with Clementine of VoA and Kristin of Temperance, and I would love to hear more collaboration between these 2! I also love the 1-2 punch of the late guitar and keyboard solo.

“Worlds Collide” is one of my favorites, a fast-paced, massive, symphonic metal opus. The orchestration is big, the vocals and choir bombastic, the guitars crushing, the bass pounding, the drums driving. This song reminds me a lot of the bigger, more epic songs by Xandria, VoA, and Epica, with incredible composition, symphonics, guitar solos, vocals, and melodies. It is definitely a standout track. Things truly slow down for the first (and almost only) time in “Ballad of Tragedy,” a stunning ballad that is hauntingly ominous and theatrical, punctuated by Debora’s vocals over a killer piano base that ebbs and flows throughout.

“Fierce” may be my other favorite on the album. It features a killer guitar groove complemented by incredible symphonics, an in your face chorus, incredible vocals, and a great message. This song is a shining example of how the band can be going full steam ahead, stop on a dime and let everything drop out, and then hit you hard with a guitar solo and a massive vocal attack. “The Window” is another symphonic metal blazer that perfectly couples amazing orchestration with a killer groove. The chorus is amazing and gets stuck in my head, the guitar and keyboard solos smoke, and the dynamics are fabulous.

Deep Sun breathes new life into “Flight of the Phoenix,” the title track from their 2014 debut EP. Besides the massive improvement in production (especially the orchestration!), the song has had some updates that make it feel fresher and fit right in this album’s tracklist. “Wasteland” may have the most cinematic feel and would fit perfectly as part of a movie or video game soundtrack. It is folksy and majestic with a big and anthemic chorus.

Album closer “The Last Stand” is perfectly titled, starting in epic fashion with more soundtrack sensibility before Debora takes over as she does so well. This song is how I would imagine a metal opera ending, with its bombastic feel, varied storytelling elements, killer instruments, massive choir, and driving pace throughout. The keyboard solo halfway through is so good, later to be matched by a heartfelt guitar solo that segueways into a beautiful yet foreboding piano outro.

This album far exceeded all expectations I had, and the more I listen to it, the more I love it. You should check this album out if you haven’t, as it is elite symphonic metal. I am also getting more and more excited for the opportunity to see Deep Sun live in Germany in October and can’t wait to do a follow-up live review!

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