Human Nature is Ivory Moon's second full-length, after a three-track demo. The point of reference here is nothing new, but it's less about originality and more about good songwriting, and this album is full of great songs. "Crimson Horizon"" starts with piano, orchestration, and some great operatic vocals by female vocalist Cecilia Serra before switching to the signature symphonic power metal style the album is based on. Male vocalist Sandro Manicone steps in as well, adding a new dimension to the vocal department. There are no grunts here; Sandro sings. The band follows this same pattern on other tracks, like "Wasted," "Through Different Eyes," and "Overflow." But they channel a little progressive metal on "Reign Of Time" and "Clown In The Mirror." Two symphonic ballads come in the form of "In The Deep Forest" and "The Second King." The album closer, "The Journey," lives up to its name, painting some slight Middle Eastern sounds on a huge symphonic metal canvas, mixing into one song everything presented individually throughout the rest of the album. A great way to end the album (though I dislike how it so quickly fades out at the end).

Ivory Moon may not convert non-believers, but fans of power metal that includes symphonic elements (ex: Rhapsody, before they were on fire) should find something very enjoyable with Human Nature. Score another one for Ulterium Records.

written by Ken Wood

Playing time: 61:02