Alpha Lyrae is the creative vision of Guido Jeri, a Peruvian solo artist based in London with an enigmatic music style. He brings expansive atmospheres of Post-Rock together with the gothic feel of Doom Metal for the self-titled album due for release on March 22nd. The production is very nice, with a mysterious and ethereal flair hovering over thick metal sounds. I like the instrumentation and the mix very much; it brings me into an introspective state of mind.
Now let’s talk about the vocals; here’s where it gets a little difficult to support. A lot of this album features melodic singing, and there’s very little wiggle room for imperfection with vocal melodies in metal. There’s just not enough power behind the singing to keep it on key. That being said, there are some grungier back up vocals that bring a little more balance. Criterion is the best song on the album, as Genaro Alva comes in and lends his guest vocals to the mix. I’d have preferred them more often. The lyrics are very introspective, but need more emotion. I believe there’s a lot of potential here with a little more fervor and a touch of Melodyne.
The album is an unwavering dedication to the artist’s daughter, and you can feel the heart in the music. The production is nice and easy to listen to. It’s a melodic goth/doom feeling with several nostalgic and trance-like guitar moments that I like very much.
Alpha Lyrae was mixed and mastered by Wynter Prior, who is a very good engineer and works well with heavier mixes. Drums are recorded and arranged by Alfonso Vargas.
