Customer Reviews

Viatrophy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The label tag on Viatrophy's myspace page reads Death Metal / Ambient / Progressive and for once in this over-marketed scene such a statement is neither a falsehood nor an exaggeration. The album starts with a spacey intro that parallels the mood of a Danny Boyle film soundtrack (yes, the band is British).

The first full song, Mistress of Misery, demonstrates the sharper side of Viatrophy's arsenal by charging into some vicious death/thrash hybrid riffs, then switching on a dime to a more brooding technical groove outro. Track 3, Seas of Storms, again reveals another layer as the band employs more dissonant (and might I add, crushing) breakdowns, some eerie acoustic sections, and a whole progression of hardcore-but-with-better-instrumentation parts that are catchy as all Hell.

The rest of the album continues to blend all these elements in ever-original ways and remains interesting throughout. The vocals, while being the most firmly rooted in death metal of any of the instruments, really stand out as multiple scream ranges are used to great effect.

Fans attracted to the death metal tag really will be in need of an open mind though, as a good portion of the album is, as intended, ambient and progressive. It's not a blast-fest, although when the brutal elements are brought out they're wholly effective and deliver just the right kick to the teeth.

The essential point is that Viatrophy create a unique and memorable vibe, which is what will keep you coming back to them regardless of what side of the heavy music spectrum you call home.

OUR RATING
(4/5)

I can hardly find a better word to describe this album than "beautiful". It is heavy and vibrant at times and beautifully peaceful in a haunting and ambient way at others- something I wasn't particularly interested in at first but certainly grew to love and even anticipate while listening to the tracks in order. I find the musical and vocal styles to be very much to my death metal tastes, with the vocals being very pleasing to the ear (of a death metal fan) and the lyrics communicated in an equally pleasing way. There's not much worse in my opinion than screechy growls. Overall, I've found this album and the band incredibly impressive ever since I first heard them with this album.