|
Varying degrees of impressive and bland.-
|
| Sons of Seasons: Magnisphyricon |
Symphonic Progressive Metal
Napalm Records
April 5th, 2011
- Magnisphyricon: Temperance - 2:03
- Bubonic Waltz - 5:47
- Soul Symmetry - 5:01
- Sanctuary - 5:56
- Casus Belli I: Guilt's Mirror - 6:01
- Magnisphyricon: Adjustment - 0:41
- Into the Void - 5:17
- A Nightbird's Gospel - 7:03
- Tales of Greed - 4:56
- Lilith - 5:30
- Casus Belli II: Necrologue to the Unborn - 5:26
- Magnisphyricon: The Aeon - 0:23
- 1413 - 6:53
- Yesteryears - 5:06
|
| Links |
| Review Information |
Release length: 66:03
Review posted on April 7th, 2011
- |
|
| | Overall Score: 7/10 |
 |
|
|
| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Gods of Vermin (2009) | Magnisphyricon (2011)
|
|
| - |
| Review |
Sons of Seasons formed back in 2007 in Germany, and it didn't take long for the band to be signed to Napalm Records, the perfect label for this symphonic group. 2009 saw the release of their debut full-length recording, Gods of Vermind, which really took advantage of how much a CD can hold by being seventy one minutes in length, leaving the release with seventy minutes of actual songs, twelve in total next to the introductory track. Magnisphyricon finds the band doing the same thing, except this time around includes a few more interlude/instrumental tracks. Both of these releases have been meeting with mixed opinions, both with critics and fans of the style, so Magnisphyricon being seventy six minutes (including the interludes) is enough to make one a little weary. But what is it that has people so mixed about this album?
Right off the bat, the group continues to find itself being sort of a Progressive mixture of Masterplan meets Kamelot, and it's a fantastic coupling of sounds. There is no way anyone can listen to "Bubonic Waltz" without immediately being swept up into the powerful and emotional Power Metal vibe that is enhanced through rougher then normal guitars and subtle Progressive changes that include varying moments of actual waltz-like music that brings the song to a far more epic scale that is further pushed as it becomes more and more epic with classical operatic vocals pushing the music to such awe inspiring levels. All of this, coupled with the on-beat-yet-sounds-off keyboard chord that is the same note played over and over through the song, adding a nice extra Progressive kick, but not being something that the band pushes to the forefront. In fact, that little extra kick often becomes buried by the music, and it really just sounds fantastic in the long run the way the band handles it. This track, hands down, will completely obliterate any preconceptions anyone has walking into Magnisphyricon, and set the bar high for this band.
Sadly, that bar winds up being a little too high. The songs that follow "Bubonic Waltz" are far from bad, but they simply don't stand up against the song in any manner, and come off more laid back or toned down. "Sanctuary" makes for a good song, having a very dark and brooding Orchestral vibe to it. One of the more shocking elements of this release are the Jon Oliva-like vocals that permeate through some of the songs. It's unclear if he actually is involved with this project, but these vocals happen to show up on some songs, and sound eerily similar, perfectly fitting the more darker and obscure-sounding tracks of the release like "Sanctuary" and it's darker, more schizophrenic musical atmosphere that these rhaspy harmonized vocals really draw energy from to create captivating and emotional moments unlike any other son on here, with exception to "Bubonic Waltz" of course. "Casus Belli I: Guilt's Mirror" does bring in a more a epic vibe to the material in a Progressive Metal fashion that feels a little more chaotic through the Progressive changes in the song, and it really becomes a more emotional ride then anything, though by the end of the six minute song, it starts to lose some of the impact it started off with, and seems to overstay it's welcome a bit.
"Magnisphyricon: Adjustment" kicks off a second set of songs. This interlude braces the listener through more dark, almost gothic sounding music for more a stronger, heavier, and as atmospheric a track with "Into the Void", a strong song that focuses more on an emotional captivation with a very subtle, yet minimal darker atmosphere. While these tracks have that darker polish to them, as well as feel emotionally driven at times, the songs that follow just don't really feel as strong as the first set sadly, and at times can even start to feel a little repetitive in the manner that they are performed. From "Bubonic Waltz" to "Casus Belli I: Guilt's Mirror", the songs had a very clear gothic/poetic darkness to them, with "Bubonic Waltz" shining through as an epic track. "Into the Void" lacks that epic vibe completely, but is similar to "Bubonic Waltz" with it's more poetic Kamelot approach. And, much like the rest of the first set, the following tracks slowly slip into a more maddening sense with "Tales of Greed" standing out among them, but mostly due to the harsher chorus that includes screaming and the most random quote from the "Jack B Nimble" nursery rhyme. But, while this chaotic track stands out for, well, it's chaos, the song itself just isn't all that enjoyable and doesn't really seem to have much of a reason behind it at all other then random spurts of madness that simply aren't all that interesting. By the time the listener reaches the track "Lilith", which, again, is far from a bad song, it just all starts to become repetitive and doesn't really reach the moving or powerful levels that the band can hit, and just starts to feel like the band is drawing out the conclusion to the album, or at least this set of songs.
The album has a third and final set of songs, though this set only winds up being two tracks long. "Magnisphyricon: The Aeon" kicks things off with a nice little instrumental piece that bleeds into "1413", and this is where the material starts to be a little more original, and actually becomes completely enjoyable again. "1413" becomes a stunning track that has a nice mixture between emotionally driven symphonic music that transitions nicely into pounding Progressive music with screaming vocals that take command of the situation. The track feels energetic, emotional, and really shows the talent the band has to create and shift the material into such different spectrums, and have them all actually fit and work together well, something that wasn't really shown in the second set of songs. "Yesteryears" closes this album out perfectly, kicking things off with some beautiful pianos and deep cleaning singing that seems to sum up this whole album as more of a stylish gothic tragedy told through Progressive and Symphonic Power Metal ideas, effectively given closure to the end of such a promising, and sometimes dismal album.
Sons of Seasons is an impressive band. Period. There is no way to deny that this group has the talent that is needed to really step out and become a driving force in the Metal world. Their sound isn't too original, but the group pulls influences to that sound, clearly ranging from today's more inspirational acts like Kamelot, to earlier acts that helped pave the way for such emotionally driven and powerful acts to exist, such as Savatage, to really make a push with dark, chaotic music that will leave a strong impression on the listener. However, the problem is the band just don't quite know how to execute their talents properly. For every good song on here, there's another song or moment that leaves the listener feeling a little tired or bored of the sound of the album in general, fleeing back to the first set of five real songs, not including the introductory track.
|
| - |
|
Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Napalm Records.
| Submit to Social Networks |
|
|
|
