Myrath had their flag waving high when they released Hope (2007), their debut album. Three albums later, the flag is still waving high. Who knew a band from Tunisia would bring a plethora of new elements in with their music and sway the metal music industry asunder. In a tough competition where every band is trying to stand out and make their own identity, Myrath dug their flag much farther than the bands still struggling so hard.
For many bands, it is hard to maintain the consistency in the quality of their music one album after another. And when it comes to progressive metal, the expectations of fans are already higher than the normal. With a tough competition in progressive metal genre, a band not only competes with other bands, but it also competes with itself. Because it does not just have to be consistent in its quality, it has to evolve with the music and outdo the number of bands ahead of it. It’s easier to reach the top, than to stay; one wrong step and you’re one of many struggling bands, and it’s hard to get out of that mire.
With their latest album, ‘Legacy’, it’s safe to say Myrath is evolving and is far from falling into that quicksand. The album is filled with hard-hitting riffs by Malen Ben Arbia and Zaher Zorgati’s vocal. Elyes Bouchoucha on keyboards is powerful as usual with the Middle Eastern influences that he puts in the music, music which makes Myrath, Myrath. It is their debut album with the drummer Morgan Berthat, who slayed the album from the very first note. Anis Jouni’s bass was one of the things that kept the groove going throughout the album. The album couldn’t have been produced any better than this. The journey ‘Legacy’ takes you on both with the sound and music, heavenly. Pure bliss upstages the environment as you hit play.
Introduction to the album is done with “Jasmin” which swoops into the next track “Believer”, and thus begins an epic adventure. It’s catchy and goes straight to the heart. “Get Your Freedom Back” is the song with one of the best guitar solos on the album; another catchy tune that grips your mind in a snap. Each track stands out of its own. What keeps a listener hooked to the band is the eccentricity in their music. They’re not your regular progressive metal bands with complex riffs and various time signatures. The middle-eastern influences incorporated in the music are like electric against your ears and you fall emotionless, numb. When you wake up, the world around you has changed. Continuing with “The Needle”, one of the songs with heaviest introduction with harmonious riffs that make you pick your air guitar and sing along. “The Unburnt” indicates the beginning of second half and the music takes a next step with the melodies as Zaher Zorgati’s vocals solidify and he holds a good grip over his voice. “I Want To Die” is the best metal ballad my ears had the fortune of listening to in a long time. Each instrument shines out like a carefully polished diamond. All the emotions are put on the carousel as the album rolls. It is followed by another ballad, “Duat” which can manage to touch the string of your heart you have hidden deep inside your shell. Your heart can take a ballad, but two ballads consecutively is simply too much for it; breaks the hardest of dams.The album is almost brought to a close with “Endure The Silence” that is almost a ballad; groovy ballad.
Eponymous to the album, Myrath continues their legacy with their latest masterpiece. A delight to heart and soul from the first note to the last; it’s a self-introspective journey you cannot afford to miss. The only thing redundant about the band is that their each song infuses into the soul and surplus amount of emotions flow; a redundancy every music fan loves. They do it with prowess and much deftness.
1 comment
Amazing, Shivam. My only gripe is that the DR kind of sucks but even then they’ve managed to keep the sound strong and dynamic enough to rise above the loudness war.