Right, I've had quite enough of Black Metal and guys screaming their lungs hoarsely at me, so I'm looking for something a little more traditional, assuming the twenty-seven bands left aren't all Black Metal ones!
Well, you know, most of them are! But I've managed to find these guys, who are described as progressive/melodic metal, so who knows, might be worth a shot.
The Revelations --- Ambrotype --- 2015 (Independent)
At least it's a full album: most of the bands here either have demos or three or four-track EPs. This has nine tracks, and opens with a nice sort of acoustic guitar and keys, sort of a romping melody, and they sing in English hooray and I can make out what they're singing. Kind of a, I don't know, CSNY feel to the melody? The opening track is called “Wretch”, and there's a very Gilmouresque feel to the guitar solo that explodes at about the second minute and runs into the third. I'm even more impressed to find that this is another one-man operation, and while it's not too difficult to do that in the likes of Black Metal to an extent, where you can just roar over a guitar, to have this level of complexity and melodic accomplishment from one guy is special indeed. The man in question is Adel Sarflou, and if he can find the right backing he has a bright future in the world of melodic metal.
OK, hold fire for a moment here. Seems for some reason my copy was playing in reverse, ie last track first, so what I just described above was the closer, “Illusion of grace”. The album actually opens, as I said, with “Wretch” and it is in fact an acoustic lament with some amazing vocal harmonies (considering this is one guy doing all of this) and some ethereal keyboards. “Crown of thorns” has much more of the metal in it, and Sarflou makes his voice darker, more ragged and more in the style of your death metal singer. The song marches along on a gritty, grindy guitar tha later rips off a really fine solo which is, however, nowhere close to death and more at home in melodic metal or even AOR territory. Great though. Another fine vocal harmony attended by expressive synth, then “Cry me a black tear (For my brother)” is a beautiful guitar-driven ballad, and over way too soon.
“I am the beast” then returns to the hard, raw sound of “Crown of thorns”, as Sarflou revels in his role as the devil, growling and snarling against a snapping, spitting guitar line that really rocks along. Eleven minutes of this may be too long (would have preferred the previous song to have been that length) but we'll see. Well, he does drop the devil persona about three minutes in, and the song becomes far more melodic and tuneful, actually becoming a sort of ballad in part, then in the fifth minute he goes back to the death vocal and harder guitar. Very versatile that's for sure. Now in the ninth minute we get a superb little acoustic guitar passage with wind sounds. Well, eleven minutes is certainly not too long. Love this.
This album just keeps getting better. “Your vivid soul” is another stark acoustic ballad, then the title track is a ten-minute affair that opens with a Queen-like vocal
acapella chorus that then explodes into a death metal growler. Actually, not as such the title track: it's his signature song, called “The Ambrotype”, though what it means I have no idea. Great power and aggression in this song, but also great melody. How one man can turn his hand to so much is beyond me. I'm in awe, I really am. And it continues with “My nightmare chamber”, which runs again on a beautiful acoustic guitar and really showcases his voice, later changing to the death growl and toughening up the guitar. Finally, “Hymn” is an acoustic ballad with a bitter edge that just allows you to relax after all the power and chaos (though organised) of the previous track. The closer we've covered, as it was inadvertently moved to the top.
TRACKLISTING
1. Wretch
2. Crown of thorns
3. Cry me a black tear (Elegy for my brother)
4. I am the beast
5. Your vivid soul
6. The Ambrotype
7. My nightmare chamber
8. Hymn
9. Illusion of grace
I can't tell you how impressed I am with this guy, particularly that he's all on his own, and yet produces some incredible and eminently listenable music here. He has a great voice, able to switch from the deepest, scratchiest death roar to a clear, resonant tone, and his mastery of keyboard, guitar and drums is amazing. Deserves to be a star. One of the best albums I've listened to for Metal Month this year. Absolutely top class.