Mythery

Awakening Of The Beast

Written by: MN on 18/08/2013 10:31:38

As anything progressive indicates, its supposed objective is to advocate change and evolution. Progressive elements in music seek to mush up the boundaries of conventional song writing and texture, thus creating a music that has brought all influences up to a boiling point, ultimately creating a concoction both riveting and technically brilliant. Often with these musical ventures, the partakers are virtuoso at their respective instruments and at times classically trained. Mythery is a rather unconventional formation; the sextet from Denmark was originally assembled by drummer Nikolaj Holger, and the final fellowship was a recruitment of former friends/study mates at the Rhythmical Conservatorium. So being virtuoso at their instruments is a given, yet their musical backgrounds are vastly different. Both the guitarist Tobias Dall and the bassist Mikkel Rosenbeck are jazz musicians, while the classical element arrives in the form of Michala Høj, who plays the violin. Vocalist Laurits Emanuel springs to the epicenter with a clean and flexible indie-inspired vocal line. The album named “The Awakening Of The Beast” has a narrative element, and while it is hard to decipher whether or not the it is meant to be a concept album, there is a crystal-clear connection between the tracks, especially in the epic five piece construction of movements with the namesake title of the album.

The opening track “Another Universe” is a natural opener to a prog-metal record, as the war-like drumming induces a form of adrenaline, yet where the music becomes interesting is with the addition of folk-inspired violins, a surprising injection into something that, thus far, sounds very promising. Following the opener, “Epoch of Destruction” has the progressive elements take center stage, a piece that clearly nods to the obvious inspiration of Dream Theater, yet one cannot help but notice how a power metal influence makes it’s way into the soundscape, meaning that it does at times sound a lot like a Kamelot record, which is in no way a bad thing. Laurits Emanuel has a great narrative edge, yet I feel sometimes his vocals need to be sharpened up a little bit, to give a more “punchy” sound to the overall experience, yet that's a minor detail in the larger scheme of things.

The drums remain consistent and adequate to support the rest of the orchestration. Nikolaj Holger is obviously a brilliant drummer, and the listener is made witness to plenty of mind-boggling drum passages, yet it never seems boastful or unnecessary in the overall production. The first movement of the final five-piece displays some good interplay between the guitar and violin, the actual movement being a rise of tension, quite befitting as it is aptly titled “overture”.

The second movement “A Dark Epiphany” sees a more darker Mythery, the vocals also take on a heavier burden, towards the end the keyboards and violin enter into another interlude that brings some of the most memorable melody lines to seal off the movement. The most dynamic and cacophonic track comes in the form of the third movement, where the real awakening must be occurring, and the harshest vocals are delivered, a clear highlight is the guitar solo.

The heart-wrenching and eerie fourth movement “Through Shadow” provides a calm before the storm effect to the final fifth movement that brings all elements into resolution in the final track “The Words of Sal”.

For being a debut record, “Awakening Of The Beast” is a revelation. The construction and song writing is brilliant, the musicians are very talented and the production is fine. What I would like to see from Mythery is that they continue to evolve their sound. The brilliance of adding a violin to the table was a very good move. Keep up the good work.

8

Download: Another Universe, The Awakening Of The Beast pt. 1, The Awakening Of The Beast pt. III
For The Fans Of: Opeth, Dream Theater, Symphony X
Listen: facebook.com


Release Date 12.08.2013
Mighty Music


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