Band:	Legenda Aurea
Album:	Ellipsis
Style:	Symphonic power metal, Symphonic progressive metal
Release date:	March 2009

01. Reflections
02. The Root
03. Parasomnia
04. F44.8
05. Discouraged
06. Abscondence Part I
07. Superbia
08. Outbreak
09. Abscondence Part II
10. Purgatory
11. Resurrection

Swiss symphonic metal band Legenda Aurea achieved a higher level of songwriting on their first album than most bands in the genre ever will and Sedna remains one of the most impressive debuts I have heard. With their second album Ellipsis they have finally achieved the professionalism and production values to match their undeniable songwriting talent. Ellipsis is bigger, heavier and more ambitious than Sedna, but is it also better? Despite the huge forward leap in the quality of the production, the answer is both yes and no.

It is evident from the very first track that Legenda Aurea have done everything in order not to copy their previous work and they deserve to be commended for that. The band's overall sound has become much more progressive. The downside is that despite having a different sound to their debut, their new found progressive sound is similar to that of many other bands in the genre and because of this, Ellipsis doesn't sound nearly as original and different as intended. The element of surprise that they were going for is definitely shot in the foot by just how familiar the overall sound of the album is.

The songwriting is still strong, but this time the emphasis is on heavy prog riffs and the wonderful symphonic melodies that made Sedna such a good album are - for the most part - nowhere to be found. The album's highlight however is the gorgeous "Abscondence Part II", a majestic and melodic track which suggests that perhaps they made a mistake moving away from their more symphonic sound after all. On the plus side, in addition to having more and heavier riffs, Ellipsis also boasts several good guitar solos which is a welcome addition to Legenda Aurea's music.

Other than the superior riffing, soloing and the greatly improved production values, the one area in which Legenda Aurea have come the longest way are the vocals. Simone is simply a much better singer than Claudia was and her voice is never drowned by the instruments. Even if Claudia's performance was more involving and satisfying emotionally, Simone still has her beat with the power and range of her superior voice.

Overall, Ellipsis is a worthy successor that might disappoint some for being far more progressive than symphonic and might appeal to others for the exact same reason. Either way, Legenda Aurea have taken a small, but significant step forward and only time will tell whether their next album will boost them into stardom and make them one of the next big names in symphonic metal or not. They now have both the songwriting skills and the technical means to achieve true greatness and fans like myself will be eagerly awaiting.