Well, the wait is nearly over. One of the most eagerly-awaited Aussie metal releases of recent times is almost here. And the question that burns on lips across the globe is – Is Beyond The Stars worth the eight year wait? And, as an adjunct to this, are Valhalore, said album’s progenitors, Aussie metal’s next international contenders?

Well, I guess that rather depends on your standpoint and how invested you are in the whole symphonic folk schtick that the band purveys. I like to dip my toe in the genre, but I don’t bathe in it, if you get my drift, and to me as a well-disposed outsider, well, then I’d have to say that Valhalore have delivered in spades on all fronts.

At it’s best – the superb The World Between – the band manage to bridge the gap between their niche and a wider acceptance in admirable style, creating a swirling mix of folksome whimsy, strident, anthemic muscle and – gasp – a thoroughly modern edge that’s very hard to resist. A truly enjoyable mashup, it’s easy to see the band charming audiences Worldwide and giving the big players in this genre a serious run for their money should they choose to explore this avenue further.

But don’t fret – if you’re a hardline traditionalist then tracks like instrumental Aether, the excellent Wayfinder and Anna Murphy colab Heart of The Sea have got you more than covered, whilst the material that sits between these two poles is never less than engaging and often very entertaining indeed.

On Beyond The Stars, Valhalore have more than proved that they are ready to make the step up to folk metal’s Premier League, and with the backing of a big label like ROAR! it’s hard to see them failing if they can get out on the road in Europe to take advantage of the many and varied doors currently opening up to them. This is a big success story in the making, you mark our words… They might not make it out of orbit to get beyond the stars, but the sky’s most definitely not the limit for these  plucky Brisbanites…

Beyond The Stars releases on April 11th.