Supergroups are always an exciting thing to see, a supergroup made up of members with one band in common, is extremely rare. The Halo Effect has members who have all been involved with the band, In Flames, (which is one of my all-time favorite bands), as well as a member from Dark Tranquility. Arguably the two best bands out of Sweden, so you go into this project knowing it is going to be special. I instantly became a huge fan, and I simply cannot wait to see where they go from here.
The Halo Effect is another powerhouse band out of Gothenburg, Sweden and involves musicians: Mikael Stanne (vocals), Niclas Engelin (guitar), Jesper Stromblad (guitar), Peter Iwers (bass), and Daniel Svensson (drums). They released their debut album in 2022 titled, Days of the Lost, and are releasing their second album, March of the Unheard, on January 10th, 2025 through Nuclear Blast Records.
March of the Unheard is a beast of an album. It begins with a melodious keyboard then the drums, bass, and guitars jumping into the same melody. Stanne’s familiar harsh vocals join in to create the perfect start to the album. “Our Channel to the Darkness” has become one of my favorites, with an acoustic opening, a strong and catchy riff, harmonizing guitars, and a memorable chorus. It gets stuck in my head often. A little over halfway through the album, Stanne adds in some clean vocals, which shifts the feeling and takes you on another adventure for the last half. “The Burning Point” is another track that sticks with me. The cascading soundscape of guitarwork makes you feel like your heart is dancing with the rhythm. My soul takes a wild ride with that one.
This album and band will be on a heavy rotation and with all the music I consume, that says a lot.
Niclas was kind enough to sit down with Metal Nation and discuss this release. (If you are viewing from your phone, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “View Desktop Version” to gain interview and video access).