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░ ██ ██ Artist: Stormtide ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Wrath of an Empire █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-11-30 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Metal Hell Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ With a name like Stormtide, you know exactly what █
█ you are going to get coming in to Wrath of an █
█ Empire, and to these Australians credit, the album █
█ certainly delivers the goods on a structural █
█ level. We have the typical pseudo-melodeath █
█ riffage, which is loaded with hooks and heavy █
█ enough to appease most, with a few tremolo █
█ barrages and quicker-picked fare. The symphonics █
█ siphon a lot of influence from later Ensiferum and █
█ particularly Whispered, with the implementation of █
█ ethnic, oriental folk window dressing. This is set █
█ atop a less interesting cinematic backing that █
█ drives most songs forward in a manner the riffs █
█ simply cannot. To be frank, few of Stormtide's █
█ riffs hook me personally, if only because they are █
█ perpetually pushed aside by the orchestrations. █
█ Regardless, Wrath of an Empire makes a very strong █
█ initial impression with the title track, which █
█ despite riffing progressions we've heard a million █
█ times over, rides the momentum of the ethnic █
█ instrumentation to the bank and definitely cashes █
█ in. This tune has a very agreeable flow and sounds █
█ just as epic as one would expect from a band such █
█ as Stormtide. While riffs are occasionally █
█ threaded with more atypical picked sequences along █
█ with scant death metal inclinations, I still can't █
█ recommend this band for their riffs alone. The █
█ final product eschews many of these deficiencies █
█ though. A great example is "Conquer the Straits," █
█ exhibiting well-implemented brass sections and █
█ setting the stage majestically, even if the main █
█ synth melody is rather stock. The scattered and █
█ busy drum performance by Tyson Richens keeps the █
█ entire fare rooted in the corporeal instead of █
█ devolving into cinematic slush like many bands █
█ tend to do. █
█ Vocals are a mixed bag, naturally. I was expecting █
█ operatic cleans as per the style, but Stormtide █
█ instead defer to the typical melodeath sneer. I █
█ did appreciate the more guttural deviations, but █
█ there were utilized primarily for emphasis and not █
█ employed outright. In most bands this vocal style █
█ grows extremely tiring, but it didn't bother me █
█ that much here. Stormtide tried to pen some sort █
█ of epic tale here, but the narrative is largely █
█ lost on me. Still, I would take this band over █
█ Brymir any day. Another great tune is "A Heroes █
█ Legacy," which opens with some Suidakra-esque █
█ clean picking that evokes a great mood. I would █
█ have liked to see more of that here. █
█ At the end of the day, I did enjoy Wrath of an █
█ Empire quite a bit, but there is definitely room █
█ for improvement. The riffs need to be fleshed out █
█ more, pursuant to greater overall quality. █
█ Furthermore, I got the impression that the band █
█ was struggling to fill space. One of the hallmarks █
█ of running out of ideas are long, extended bass █
█ solos that come out of nowhere and without █
█ conceptual reason. "Sage of Stars" ends with such, █
█ which isn't too surprising since it is one of the █
█ weaker songs here. Otherwise, Stormtide are pretty █
█ good, and are certainly worth a glancing over if █
█ you are into this sorta stuff. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Formed in late 2013, Australian fantasy metallers █
█ Stormtide has released a critically acclaimed EP █
█ and a highly-lauded single in their wake while █
█ touring their homeland consistently as part of █
█ various tour support endeavors. Having spent the █
█ better part of three years perfecting their debut █
█ album with an intricately woven story centering on █
█ the adventures of the Warrior, the Prince and the █
█ Magician, this is released August 1, 2016 on Metal █
█ Hell Records. █
█ As befits the status of the bandsÆ chosen style, █
█ this here comes off as an utterly impressive █
█ mixture of impressive symphonics overlaid over the █
█ bandsÆ charging display of melodic death metal █
█ underneath it all. Managing to utilize a variety █
█ of overtly epic symphonics within their sound, █
█ they generate a dynamic and epic soundscape thatÆs █
█ quite impressive and rather energetic as it moves █
█ within the tracks featured here which sounds even █
█ more engaging while maneuvering through the █
█ melodeath rhythms elsewhere here. Though firmly █
█ rooted in death metal as the tight rhythms are █
█ given a nice place of prominence, the fact that █
█ the majority of the riff-work here is given quite █
█ a nice series of melodic runs here allows them █
█ plenty of time to shimmer in the arrangements █
█ which is where this one really scores quite well. █
█ It really doesnÆt bring out the kind of intensity █
█ really required of it, though, as the fact that █
█ the majority of the tracks tend to wallow around █
█ in a tight, stylish mid-tempo plod that never █
█ really works out into the kind of bombastic █
█ overkill this fantasy-based music really deserves. █
█ The keyboards are given a grandiose sheen that █
█ makes them quite fun, but when combined with the █
█ groupÆs penchant for mostly bland mid-tempo █
█ rhythms it doesnÆt really generate the kind of █
█ epic feel thatÆs certainly hinted at and instead █
█ certainly makes the later half here seem just █
█ overlong and bland once itÆs apparent the band █
█ isnÆt changing up this style at all. Though █
█ thereÆs some decent moments to be had here, █
█ thereÆs not enough of them in here to really make █
█ that much of an impact. █
█ Though itÆs certainly not all that bad for a debut █
█ offering, as thereÆs some enjoyable tracks to be █
█ found here overall this one just doesnÆt really █
█ live up to the promise of itÆs potential and lacks █
█ the impact it couldÆve had which instead makes █
█ this mostly for those who prefer this sort of █
█ fantasy-driven material the most. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Wrath of an Empire 5:04 ░
░ 2. As Two Worlds Collide 4:27 ░
░ 3. Dawnsinger 5:05 ░
░ 4. Conquer the Straits 4:07 ░
░ 5. Sage of Stars 4:14 ░
░ 6. A Heroes Legacy 5:35 ░
░ 7. Ride to Ruin 3:49 ░
░ 8. Ascension 5:40 ░
░ 9. The Green Duck 4:59 ░
░ 43:00 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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