New Boston band Between Skies are here to synthesize a fresh assortment of metal influences into a new, unique package. The band was started in the most honest of circumstances – a love of metal between a bartender (Tommy Scales, guitar) and his regular customer (Ranpal Chana, bass). Eventually they looped in singer Oscar Derderian III, drummer Edson Lacerda and guitarist Paul Sugar and began sessions as Between Skies. With venues closed due to the pandemic, the band was able to focus solely on their debut EP. Each member cites a wide range of influences, from Iron Maiden and Blood Incantation to non-metal acts like Bootsy Collins, Khruangbin, and Armenian kef bands. We’re excited to present the exclusive premiere of the band’s debut EP, “Horizons.”

One thing that is apparent immediately on “Horizons” is that Between Skies are comfortable not falling under any one label. This smartly follows a recent trend in metal, of bands bucking the same tired sounds and song structures in favor of experimental and fresh ideas. For some bands, it means throwing away all scripts while others – like Between Skies – it means embracing and celebrating many subgenres of metal that have historically been at war with each other. The band bills themselves as being a thrash metal band, and while that is certainly the case, they’ve clearly embraced other influences and disregarded the archaic laws of metal. The opening track, “Horizons/Wake Me” is a near seven-minute song that starts off with a calm intro before it builds into a thunderous epic, eschewing many of the fast and rough conventions of today’s thrash. It sounds more akin to a power metal-adjacent group like Helloween, with huge riffs and piercing vocals. It’s a hell of a mission statement.

Similarly, “Going Nowhere” has some of the elements of an ambition grander than thrash – wailing riff, incisive vocal rhythms and a tempo that’s quick but patient enough to allow for a story. The song feels like more of a boiler pot than the opener, resulting in something that wouldn’t sound out of place for the prog-metal crowd. The other two tracks – previously-released “Delirium Tremens” and “Psionic Storm,” are definitely more down to earth in their scope. The former still has a huge feel to it, with background vocals adding an ominous atmosphere, but the crunch of the guitars is much more direct and pummeling. “Storm” is the straight shot home run the EP needs to close, the quickest and loudest of the four tracks. There are still guitar licks and vocal ferocity, but everything feels much more direct, six minutes of blunt force before it fades off into the same type of quiet riffing that opens the EP.

This EP has something for plenty of metal fans. There’s a buffet of ideas that feel indebted to 80’s bands, and more than enough excitement and punch to satisfy fans of a newer product. The band’s diverse musical tastes come into play on all four songs, and the EP definitely feels like an open-ended question as to where the band will go next. “Horizons” officially hits streaming services on August 3rd, but you can listen to an advance stream below! With shows finally coming back into our lives, expect to see Between Skies melting minds with these songs across New England.