Forever Slave
Alice's Inferno

THE REVIEW

Intrigued by the tip leaked in some specialized magazines, according to which the most likely candidate to replace Nightwish's Turunen would be a Lady Angellyca, I obviously first went to verify her looks, in order to decide whether or not to buy the album of her group named Forever Slave (For the girls: Sorry if I sound a bit sexist, I can assure you that this is not the way I usually shop).
Surprise of surprises, who did I find in front of me? Turunen's twin sister. After all, it was the most predictable choice. Holopainen and his associates are not crazy enough to give up the image they have created over the years and which, especially with their latest album Once, has brought them commercial success.

So I purchase the debut album of Forever Slave, titled Alice's Inferno, and proceed to listen to it. I must say that after glancing at the band's photos and the layout of their website, I had already classified them as one of the many gothic metal bands that are cluttering up the metal music scene at the moment. I wasn't wrong. This album has all the components of gothic female metal that currently characterize hundreds of bands: Angellyca's very sweet voice (which is also very similar to Tarja's), the contrast with the male growl, anguished melodies and powerful background guitars. In short, a déjà vu.

Don't get me wrong, overall it's an album that is listenable (whose peaks, in my opinion, are to be found in "In the Forest," "Circle of Tenebra," and "Dreams and Dust"), overall well played, but nothing new under the sun. The comparison with Theatre of Tragedy, Epica, After Forever, etc., etc., etc., comes easy and these Forever Slave, with cunning and skill, try to fit into that line. The element of originality, in fact, is there but, as you have understood, it does not concern the musical aspect. The present Alice's Inferno is indeed a concept album, as it apparently recounts the feats of a boy who descends into hell in a sort of reinterpretation of Dante's Inferno. In conclusion, if these Spaniards Forever Slave, if then actually the singer were to leave to go to Finland, I don't think they would be missed.