Release date: May 9th, 2025

On Countess of the Night, Spain’s Aeroscreamer delivers a retro-spirited work that doesn’t rely on nostalgia but expands on it with intelligence and personality. The band dives into the codes of hard rock, ‘80s prog, and classic heavy metal, guided by meticulous production, solid guitar work, and a vocal performance that builds progressively. The result is an album that recalls the greats — Europe, Pendragon, Marillion, UFO — without sounding derivative, betting instead on well-crafted compositions and a dark aesthetic that gives it a character of its own.

Review

The Bruise: Clean, arpeggiated guitars with keyboards reminiscent of early Europe set the tone in the opening bars. A megaphone-style female voice melts into the background of the melody, moving forward in a slow progression. After the brief intro, electric guitars kick in, marked by a dry, sharp distortion and adorned with keyboards in a neo-prog style reminiscent of Pendragon or Marillion. The female vocals are raw and unembellished, with mid-to-high tones, making it clear that Aeroscreamer’s ethos is to channel the glory of the ‘70s and ‘80s. An excellent opening.

Raptor Eyes: The guitars launch into an all-out attack, with artificial harmonics and twin riffs that rise and fall like a rollercoaster. The dominant rhythmic phrases follow a spiral-like structure, with solos played in different intervals. Once again, the keyboards are integral to the soloing, and the guitar pick attacks recall the characteristic structure of Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls,” though with prog-inspired variations that give it a personal twist.

AR Command: Without abandoning the neo-prog keyboards, Aeroscreamer leans into a hard-rock style track, built around mid-range tones and very reminiscent of the glam legends, with a more danceable groove — more for the feet than the head — and energized backing vocals and vocal phrasing with some effects added to highlight the song’s feel. Fans of UFO, Rainbow, or Kiss will enjoy this more festive side of the band.

Break After All: Arpeggiated and palm-muted guitars alternate with fast chords, supporting Leire Zubizarrieta’s vocals. If in the earlier songs she sounded a bit stiff or uncomfortable, here she completely unleashes, delivering an outstanding performance that blends more naturally with the guitars. The vibe is very reminiscent of Van Halen or ‘70s Deep Purple. Easily one of the best tracks on the record.

Blind Fury Murderness: With strong emphasis on the rhythm guitars, the song unfolds with rapid-fire phrasing and sharp drumming that defines the beat. The bass stays in the background but becomes more prominent during interludes and rhythm shifts. During the solos, the keyboards take the lead, enhanced by synthesizers and expressive vibratos. As a calling card for the band, it’s a perfect piece, since it neatly sums up their artistic proposal.

Nightincage: A wordplay on night and cage, this song opens with atmospheric keyboards and bass lines. Leire’s voice here is more melodic, showcasing a different range than in previous tracks. The guitars take a backseat, except during the solos which, while not particularly virtuosic, serve to decorate the piece expressively.

Stuck in the Show: This track leans more toward classic heavy metal, structured around galloping interludes and classic drumming that avoids the use of double bass. The songwriting is less linear, with rhythm breaks and atmospheric passages added, along with chant-worthy choruses reinforced by male backing vocals.

Voluntas Ferra: A brief neoclassical piece, clocking in at under a minute, it builds an epic atmosphere with martial Latin vocals and solo guitars. Its purpose is to serve as an introduction to the next track.

Prayers Written to the Child Unborn: What a title! Kicking off with a hard-rock energy similar to the opening tracks, it quickly shifts into solo bass lines accompanied by drums. The vocals then enter, and from the outset we know we’re in for something more complex and expansive. Leire’s voice comes across fiercer here, but she also delivers more melodic segments, blending technique with raw expression. The track is an excellent closer — the lyrics are inspired, and the tragic atmosphere the band aims to convey comes across powerfully.

Conclusion

The cover of Countess of the Night by Aeroscreamer presents a dark, seductive allegory of the night. A dominant woman dressed in red — the “Countess of the Night” — leads a blindfolded, vulnerable man with an axe through an opulent yet decaying hallway stained with blood and draped in cobwebs. The band’s visual work is remarkable. Musically speaking, the expressive vocals of Leire Zubizarrieta, the melodic solos, and the intelligent use of keyboards make this album a strong debut. Aeroscreamer proves that the ‘80s revival can still sound fresh when played with conviction and taste.

TheNwothm Score: 7.5/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://aeroscreamer.bandcamp.com/album/countess-of-the-night

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Aeroscreamer.Heavy.Metal/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/aeroscreamer/

Label: Independent