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░ ██ ██ Artist: Scythia ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: ...Of Conquest █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2014-10-04 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: self-released ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Who is looking for a North American version of █
█ Metal blending heavy doses of Turisas, a splash of █
█ Wintersun, a smattering of 70s prog rock, sea █
█ shanties, a ton of German Power Metal, a hint of █
█ Northern European Melo Death (a la COB), and a █
█ tongue in cheek attitude? If you are, then I have █
█ the band just for you û CanadaÆs own Scythia. █
█ This band has been performing their own blend of █
█ epic progressive metal with a twist of folklore █
█ since 2008. Their brand new independently █
█ released album,àOf Conquest, features rich, poetic █
█ storytelling, and an epic tale that captures the █
█ imagination of all who are privy to its lyrical █
█ melody. Scythia does not mess around getting àOf █
█ Conquest off to a rip roaring start with the first █
█ four tracks that set the tone and begin this █
█ thrilling journey into a grand story of █
█ exploration, battle, deceit, and wild eyed █
█ adventure. Oh yeah, itÆs some great Heavy Metal █
█ as well! Fanfare 1516 is the stage setter, █
█ clearly showing the Turisas influence, █
█ particularly with the keyboard passages and gang █
█ shouts. Vocalist Dave Khan, though, takes control █
█ with his very likeable voice and apparent passion. █
█ One of the more compelling songs follows in █
█ Merchant of Sin, a cool story of a ôtwo faced █
█ charlatanö and they keep things rolling along with █
█ Bear Claw Tavern, a Heavy Metal ale drinking song. █
█ Scythia throws in some harsh vocals, as well, █
█ roughing up the expectations. SailorÆs Accolade █
█ provides the impression of being at sea, from the █
█ shanty-type accordion laced melody in the intro to █
█ the romping and rolling remainder. Following a █
█ brief respite (relatively speaking) during the █
█ intro to Reflection, Scythia ramps it up again █
█ with an almost Progressive tune, alternating among █
█ time signatures and using different arrangements. █
█ The guitar leads at the beginning or Rise of the █
█ Kraken brings images of flailing tentacles, while █
█ the track brings the heavy rather nicely with a █
█ mid-paced head banger as well as a Hammond organ █
█ solo. Into the Storm starts as a Turisas clone, █
█ but quickly morphs into a straight out Power Metal █
█ song. Crank this one for sure. Land of Scythia █
█ features some excellent guitar leads, not that █
█ they have been slacking up to this point, but █
█ these really caught my ear. Instrumental █
█ (mostly) Wrath of the Ancients flows nicely into █
█ Army of the Bear, another one of their strong █
█ Power Metal tracks. Reminds me a bit of Soul █
█ Temptation era Brainstorm. The word epic is █
█ thrown around a lot in Metal, but I am going to █
█ use it to describe the 13+ minute Path Trhough the █
█ Labyrinth, from the flutes at the beginning to the █
█ harpsichord ending with harsh vocals, big █
█ orchestras, melancholy passages, and impressive █
█ speed all along the way. àOf Conquest ends with █
█ the track Departure, a fitting conclusion to the █
█ whole affair. From Mr. Khan: ôThe band is █
█ finally finding its ideal sound. This next album █
█ we are currently writing feels very natural and █
█ forms the perfect marriage of progressive power █
█ metal and catchy epic anthems. ThatÆs why we are █
█ putting our strong cards together and getting it █
█ done right!ö The album was engineered/produced █
█ and mixed by the team of Lasse Lammert (Alestorm, █
█ Gloryhammer), Shaun Thingvold (SYL, LOG), and Nino █
█ Laurenne (Ensiferum, Wintersun, Kiuas), giving the █
█ album a great sound throughout. àOf Conquest is █
█ definitely an adventure for not only the ears, but █
█ also for the imagination. Highly recommended to █
█ fans of Power Metal and those who would dare to █
█ take a trip back to the 16th Century through the █
█ music. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Fanfare 1516 2:55 ░
░ 2. Merchant of Sin 5:21 ░
░ 3. Bear Claw Tavern 3:12 ░
░ 4. Sailor's Accolade 3:07 ░
░ 5. Reflections 4:46 ░
░ 6. Rise of the Kraken 4:37 ░
░ 7. Into the Storm 6:44 ░
░ 8. Land of Scythia 5:08 ░
░ 9. Wrath of the Ancients 3:10 ░
░ 10. Army of the Bear 4:41 ░
░ 11. Path Through the Labyrinth 12:53 ░
░ 12. Departure 3:46 ░
░ 60:20 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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