Review: METALITE – Discovery
Perception – September 25th, 2026
Reviewer – Jason Hopper
With the band describing themselves as “Modern Sci-Fi inspired Power Metal”, METALITE return with ‘Discovery‘, a concept sequel to their last album ‘Expedition One‘ (review here), set three years after the conclusion of that story (review here).
I would like to explain a synopsis of the story, but frankly I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it. It involves humanity colonizing another planet, merging with AI, and anomalies and system errors that threaten to destroy humanity…or something. Luckily, just like the last album, it’s not necessary to be invested in the storyline to enjoy the album…and enjoy the album I did!
This is my kind of Power Metal. Intense, intricate, and a well-balanced sound where keyboards/synths are prominent but do not undercut the grittiness of the metal.
I love when an album delivers a one-two punch right from the start, and that’s what you get with ‘Our Time Has Come’ and ‘In Case of Emergency’. Both tracks are bombastic and exciting, with well-constructed layers that take the song in dynamic directions. The chorus is the key ingredient, and this is where singer Erica Ohlsson’s strength lies. Her voice is spectacular, but when it’s overlayed in the choruses, it’s magical, especially with ‘In Case of Emergency’, my top song on the album. I played that a few times before moving on to the rest of the album.
Next best song goes to ‘Captive In The Past’. It has an immediate chorus that sticks with you long after you walk away from the album, it was an earworm in my head for days. It also has one of the more interesting solos with synths mixing in with riffage leading to some spectacular fret work.
As great as those songs are, the reality is this album is dripping with sing-along anthems. This is one of those albums that make it difficult to point to the songs that are guaranteed to make the set list. I count eight that could surely be candidates, and I would not consider the four remaining to be fillers by any stretch.
The anthems come fast and furious, with the only break coming with the recently released single ‘Echoes of You’, which is perfectly placed at Track 7. While Erica can scream with the best of them, her softer tone in this song makes me appreciate her vocal abilities. It’s a great power ballad, but I wish it was a bit softer as my favorite parts were the beginning and ending, where she does not have to project as she does with the other song. A bit more of that would have potentially made this a top track.
Unlike their last album, which I critiqued was too long with sixteen tracks, the band has scaled back to twelve here and the album does not overstay its welcome. I will have to play it a number of times more to determine if this album surpasses their last one. For now, I can say the album at least matches its greatness. If you loved ‘Expedition One‘, then this needs to be added to your collection.
Track list:
- Our Time Has Come
- In Case of Emergency
- Into The Maze
- Cyberspace
- The Metal Elite
- Neon Rain
- Echoes of You
- Starchild
- Wings of Fire
- Captive In The Past
- Supremacy of One
- Triforce
Line-up:
Erica Ohlsson (Vocals)
Edwin Premberg (Guitar)
Robert Örnesved (Guitar)
Robert Majd (Bass)
Erik Junttila Johansson (Drums)
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