Gallia – Obscura (Independent Release)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    4 september 2022

In 2014, Gallia (BE) was founded as a musical project, but soon outgrew that term. Nowadays, Gallia is a four-person symphonic metal band from Belgium with original songs and a strong passion for music.


Aperture is what I call an intro. This track is slowly building up with a symphonic touch.

Return of Time is a good cinematic/symphonic metal track. I like the drums, guitar sound and the vocals. The tempo goes up and down and carries a lot of pathos (typical for this kind of music). The vocals are more whispering/story telling then really singing and powering out.

Blackout Queen shows the more fragile side of the band, but still remains powerful and keeps the symphonic metal touch. Here we hear the vocals for the first time for real and they sound good!

Mirage is a beautiful and magical song that gets heavier and more aggressive halfway. It feels like a duality: evil versus good. Both sides have their moments within this song (and so does the vocals change).

Reflection has a good sound and will be for sure a good song to perform on stage! I like the drive, the energy and the melodic sound!

Path of the Nomad sounds like a good and typical symphonic metal track, but misses a bit of a sparkle to make it shine more and jump out of the package of 1000 other symphonic metal tracks.

Free Me is a cinematic track without any vocals.

Spirit of The Sea is a good symphonic metal track with oriental influences and a cinematic feel. The tempo of the songs also goes up and down like waves on a calm sea.

Chaos sounds a bit harder and has a good symphonic metal touch. Now and then you will hear some oriental influences.

Euphoria gets carried by pathos whilst the tempo goes up and down. The vocals are ok, but not outstanding. I miss a sparkle and for sure with such a title. Make me believe it’s Euphoria, plz! Give it all and do it with a smile!

Tears of Gold is a strong song with a good tempo. I have a feeling this might be a good one to perform on stage (listen to the drums): it has the energy and the right touch! But I would cut down the length of the song and keep it short and strong.

New World is a highlight on this album: great vocals with a fragile side and be ready to shed a tear! This is a real wow momentum! The ending is really great!

Well: I heard some good things, gave some advise and yet I’m not sure if I will keep the album on my playlist. Maybe I just keep some tracks? I have a feeling this band needs to grow a bit more. The vocals miss sometimes that extra sparkle (just as some songs). There are so many bands in this genre and you really have to present a top album to make the difference! I can conclude they are on their way and I’m sure there are fans who already adore it the way it is now but I feel there is more to come! Good luck folks!

More about this band can be found at:

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