Valhalore – Beyond the Stars Review

By Twelve

Valhalore is a great name for a band. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a little goofy—but look, you get it instantly. “Valhalla?” Folk metal. “Lore?” Symphonic/power metal. Put them together and you get that exact album cover. Beyond the Stars is Valhalore’s sophomore release, following a seven-year silence from their debut. It’s a long time to cook up something cool, and I’m an easy mark for this kind of music, but Valhalore are treading a well-worn path in their fusion of styles. The question is certainly not what kind of music you’ll find on Beyond the Stars, but how well it is executed and what will set these Australians apart from their many contemporaries.

The answer to the question, of course, is wind instruments. Valhalore do indeed play a blend of symphonic, folk, and power metal that treads easily into melodic death metal; the three guitarists (Anthony Willis, Lucas Fisher, and Joseph Dipisa-Fiorenza on bass) bring on the power, the riffs, and the leads; there are roars and clean singing (Fisher and Lachlan Neate), and Morgan Cox’s drumming keeps exactly the right pace for the adventurous spirit of the album. All of that is standard, but Sophie Christensen is what sets Beyond the Stars apart, her contribution of wind instruments present throughout. These flutes and pipes soften the music somewhat, offering a powerful counter to what is otherwise a fast-paced, heavy folk metal album. Combine this with cello and mandolin from Neate and you get an album that deftly balances strong power metal with organic, authentic folk tunes.

Authenticity really is the key here. Beyond the Stars bears some resemblance to Time II (Wintersun) in its pace and seeming influence from Japan in the wind section, but avoiding samples allows Valhalore to breathe more easily. From there, it’s all about balance. “Within the Fire” is a great song with strong riffs, a huge build, and an awesome chorus, and the same can be said for “A Walk Among the Stars.” Valhalore is a little given to the standard idea of balancing growling verses with catchy, clean-sung choruses, but what the heck—it’s standard for a reason, and they execute it well. On the softer side, “Wayfinder” demonstrates more clearly than any other song the power of authenticity. For much of the song, the mandolin, cello, and wind instruments are all the support the singing needs. It’s frankly gorgeous, and demonstrates the breadth of talent in performance and songwriting Valhalore are working with, not to mention the emotion, without which the whole thing would fall apart.

To some extent, Beyond the Stars suffers from having too much of a good thing. A little repetition in a strong formula is hardly bad, but I find the journey stalls a touch in the middle. After the stunner that is “Wayfinder,” neither “Horizon” nor “The World Between” land for me; both feel like lesser versions of the trio that opens the album. In the case of “Horizon,” I can’t help but feel the guitars would be stronger leads for the song’s aggressive pace, and I just don’t care much for the chorus in “The World Between.” With so much formula seemingly at work, it is perhaps unsurprising that the full forty-eight minutes is not fully engaging. For more evidence of this idea, see “Heart of the Sea,” the song that shatters this feeling—and the one most unlike the others. Part of that is the guest spot from Anny Murphy (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie), but much of it is simply the great writing, catchy vocal lines, and sense of something different. It’s almost progressive in its writing, and it feels wistful and strong, again with the emotional vibrancy of Valhalore coming up to shine.

Beyond the Stars is a very fun album. To some extent, it is predictable—you’re not in for any serious surprises, but rather for an exciting style of metal written and performed very well. It’s a little familiar and a lot fun, and you can hear that Valhalore are seasoned musicians who love what they do. For my part, I feel right at home here, and it seems they do too. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait so long for the next instalment—I would love more of this music in my life.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Roar Rock of Angels Records
Websites: valhalore.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/valhalore
Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025

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