Epigenesis

Melechesh | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
• ASIN: B0040U8X2I
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,931 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Founded by a young guitarist named Ashmedi in the city of Jerusalem back in `93, Melechesh have always been a visionary band. Melting raw black metal with Mediterranean drum patterns and guitar scales resulted in a phenomenal and unique sound that is all their own. This interesting band has brought a new dynamic to extreme metal as fans and critics clamored for more. Ashmedi seized this opportunity and now writes autobiographical stories for magazines worldwide (Decibel in the US) and has a documentary about his life as well! This multidimensional aspect is characteristic for a band that constantly seeks to explore the many facets of the subgenre it forged within the extreme metal scene. Preferring quality to quantity, musical honesty over trends, Melechesh are answering a call. Amongst other surprises on this album, The Epigenesis incorporates more organic elements, subtly integrating traditional instruments (such as yayli tanbur, Azeri Tar, baglama saz, Indian sitar and Persian santur) and 12-string guitars while still leaving room for improvisations that channel the inspiring aura of Istanbul, a city that has always been a melting point for cultures and the crossroads of east and west, much like The Epigenesis itself.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melechesh go from strength to strength, October 27, 2010

By 

M. Nolte "Buechners Tod" (VIC, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Epigenesis (Audio CD)

I loved sphynx and love Emissaries even more, now this may become my favourite Melechesh album. It's got a great sound and the Mesopotamian flavour comes through even stronger

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new but it kicks a**, October 25, 2010

By 

Donald Simpson "Rossi-Fumi" (Northwest, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Epigenesis (Audio CD)

If you loved Emissaries and Sphynx then you will no doubt love Epigenesis, no new ground is broken, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, this album scorches from beginning to end with slower instrumental breaks at track 6 and 10. I don't know if they will gain any new fans with this release (they should) but it will keep the current fans in sonic nirvana.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Melechesh return with a solid but somewhat lacking album, November 18, 2010

By 

Joszef Ruiz "Joszef Ruiz" (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Epigenesis (Audio CD)

Sphinx is an amazing metal album. Emissaries is an outstanding progression from Sphinx and has a bit better production than Sphinx. Both are notable for excellent song writing, musicianship,(Proscriptor's drums are perfect on both albums) and a unique blending of Mesopotamian lyrical and musical themes with their thrashy, black metal.

Epigenesis has top notch production, but is not as intense as Emissaries and not as cohesive in the sense I described above. It has a straight ahead feel about it, a lot of catchy grooves, the trademark atmosphere but it's kind of simplistic (for Melechesh) and doesn't have the fierce dynamism and frenetic style that made their other stuff so appealing to me.
If it did have that intensity and immediacy of their last albums along with the leitmotifs and atmosphere on Epigenesis this would've been an astounding album. Oh, and the new drummer has filled Proscriptor's place well.

It's a good Melechesh album but I feel it could've been better-something on par with Behemoth's newest one. Hopefully next time!