Band:	Vertigo Steps
Album:	Vertigo Steps
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	2008

01. Steps To Vertigo (In Through)
02. Vultures In My Dying Bed
03. The Swarming Process
04. Fire Eaters
05. Serpent's Irony
06. Scarheart
07. The Gruesome Smile
08. Pain Inc.
09. I Of The Storm
10. Synapse (Sleepwalking Metaphorms)

Composed of members who come from different bands (like Niko Mankinen, ex Misery Inc.) Vertigo Steps is however Bruno A's baby. The first release of this Portuguese/Finnish combo is a lovely album of Dark Progressive Metal which could certainly be associated to the last Katatonia releases for example. I'm quite sure that a lot of you will appreciate it if they like such kind of modern Dark Metal and like sad melodies. This first release is a great start definitely!

All in all "Vertigo Steps" is an original album. Between Pop, Gothenburg Death Metal, Goth and with a lot of Progressive influences, this release is refreshing. This nice melting-pot of different Metal genres give a certain personality to the music of Vertigo Steps and if a song like "The Swarming Process" will remind you the last album of Katatonia (even if it's probably a bit heavier and faster here), one other song like "The Gruesome Smile", with its aggressive riffs, big guitars soli and blasting drums is a lot more influenced by Gothenburg Death. At least, we have variations from one song to another but from the beginning to the end of the album you'll still be in front of some dark atmospheres (the Gothic side of the album) and that's really good. Plus, "Vertigo Steps" is complex and clearly influenced by "weird" Prog Metal bands like Green Carnation.

Talking about Green Carnation, Stein Roger Sordal even does a guest appearance on this album where other (less) famous musicians also sings. Even if the production is not the best ever done, it remains correct and it will be easy for you to ear all the different instruments (piano, acoustic and electric guitars etc) featured on the album. Really "Vertigo Steps" is a great start and I'm convinced that Bruno A will be able to propose other good stuffs in the future. The writings of his first album are good and perfectly represent the different influences that the band has. I'm expecting a lot of good things in the future from them.

Vertigo Steps first album is a good piece of music. I don't know if it will be easy for the band to find fans outside Portugal because they're not signed yet but after all the have the keys to open those doors in the hand. If you're into Green Carnation, Katatonia and like "open-minded" Metal I hope that you'll have a look at this release. Of course this is not the best release ever done but obviously we're not in front of deaf musicians here. Check if it you want something fresh and enjoyable!