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Band: Enemy Of Reality
Album title: Rejected Gods
Release date: 30 June 2014
Label: FYB Records
Tracklist:
01. Medusa
02. My Own Master (ft. Mike LePond)
03. Lifeless Eyes
04. Needle Bites (ft. Ailyn Gimenez)
05. One Last Try
06. Her Descending Ghost
07. The Bargaining (ft. Androniki Skoula)
08. Grief Divine
09. Torn Apart
10. Twist Of Time
11. Step Into The Light (ft. Maxi Nil)
When you have so many selling points and references put onto a pile you certainly give some attention to a certain album or any kind of release. This is the case with the debut album of new Greek band Enemy Of Reality. You have multi talented musicians, opera trained vocalist, so many guest contributions, you have a great concept story behind the album, professional cover artwork, and so on and on, so what can possibly go wrong? Let me tell you, it's the lack of ideas, it's that tiny special speckle that it's needed for making great and interesting harmonious compositions. External appearance come to make a feeling that everything is in the right place and that the album named Rejected Gods is about to be masterpiece, but unfortunately is just another mellow progressive/symphonic metal output.
It's maybe unnecessary to get into details with Rejected Gods, because we all heard it before, and at this point is useless to list all those bands playing symphonic metal who stick to the same approved formula for so many years. But yet, there's something that is not really that common and this is the use of many elements that occasionally make this album quite intriguing. Mostly because of the fact that the band enriches their way of symphonic metal with elements of classical music, theatrical, modern and progressive metal, but still, to be truthful even this is not something new, isn't it? The instrumental side is impeccable, that's out of question, also the soprano of Iliana Tsakiraki, who worked before even with Septicflesh) is breathtaking, but somehow it doesn't go that well together with the rest of intruments, at least most of the fast paced things are pretty much discrepant. You have marvelous guitar leads, great riffs all over, thunderous and technical perfective drumming, good synth job, but the lack of innovative or at least catchy compositions ruins what could be otherwise another symphonic metal masterpiece.
Like I said before there are quite some interesting artists who contributed on Rejected Gods as guests, for example the opening track, in my opinion the best thing on this album, intro "Medusa" was done by Christos Antoniou (Septicflesh, Chaostar) and the closing piano driven ballad "Step Into The Light" was arranged by Renos Miliaris (September Code). Then there are as well, Ailyn Giménez (Sirenia) on mediocre progressive/operatic metal tune "Needle Bites", Symphony X bassist Mike LePond serves with some unworldy lines on maybe the best proper track from the album, "My Own Master". Then Androniki Skoula (Chaostar) takes the role of Eurydice in the confusing and diabolic "The Bargaining", in there you can hear some devilish harsh vocals, and that's not all, Maxi Nil (Jaded Star, ex-Visions Of Atlantis) contributes on "Step Into The Light". But it's shameful that Enemy Of Reality didn't really exploited all those guests to make something more noteworthy. On the other hand the use of choirs does the job and deepens the ambiance pretty well, in the best possible way on "Torn Apart", to name just one.
I think that also the production could be a bit more bombastic and strong, then the final mix is not the best one, but certainly the band must get some credits because this is their first album and they show a lot of potential which at this very moment hasn't flourished yet. Maybe the devoted fans of operatic, symphonic and progressive metal won't agree with my review, and to be honest, this release might be the one which will make some of them tremble of satisfaction. From my side I can only hope that the next time they'll make up for all those of us who search in this very genre something more stylistically elaborate, catchy and dynamic, something with the pathos that takes you with the flow.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 6,5/10
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