Ephel Duath The Painter's Palette
Elitist MOSH906CD 19th May 2003
By Russell Garwood
To begin, this is unlike anything you have ever heard before. It is completely new, unprecedented and unique. Something different from previous Ephel Duath releases that defies definition, description and categorization. Guitarist, composer and lyricist Davide Tisos project has now expanded from a duo to a full band, featuring members from disparate and seemingly incongruous musical backgrounds. On "The Painters Palette", we now have the extremely impressive skills of bass player Fabio Fecchio; more of a prog/fusion musician, his bass lines are prominent, and complement quieter flowing sections while going crazy in heavy parts. Breaks like those in Labyrinthine show the complexity of some sections, and create interesting contrasts in an already diverse sound.
Drums come courtesy of Davide Piovesan, a jazz/blues percussion teacher who not only handles the odd time signatures and constant time changes with grace, but has also adapted to metal-style drumming remarkably well in the louder sections. It is in quieter passages that his diversity and talent become really apparent, however, and he is a valuable addition to this multifaceted group. Clean vox, handled by Davide Tolomei, are well-placed and account for around half the vocal attack. The melodies are rarely catchy but fit with the technical, jumping music well, and provide a valuable contrast to the hardcore-influenced shouts of Lucio Lorusso. The only drafted member with an extreme metal background, his screams are unforgiving and effective, often playing off singing and melodic sections to create sudden character changes. The guitars of Davide are - as ever - competently performed, ever-changing and contain enough memorable hooks to offset an often all-over-the-place technical approach. Frequent trumpets add further variety and an authentic jazz feel, all aided by top-notch production.
The music can best be described as a fusion of jazz, hardcore and progressive metal a label which in no way does it justice. From the mind-expanding pandemonium of heavy sections, through laid back instrumental phrases, to all out modern jazz passages, all compositions are clearly the same band. In essence, Ephel Duath are not merely jazz-influenced, they are creating a true fusion of two previously largely separate genres.
"The Painters Palette" itself follows an interesting concept in which each song represents a colour thoughtfully provided on the track listings but with strict instructions to interpret them loosely. This is accompanied by a multimedia section featuring a video, making of and band pictures, a short note from Davide T., pre-production recordings, lyrics and contact information. Standout tracks are impossible to choose as the highest standard is maintained throughout. It is also not possible to listen to only one song of "The Painters Palette" - stopping is out of the question once youre past the middle of the first track. Not a release for all metal fans, I can nevertheless see this album gaining widespread recognition, and even if this is not the case, I believe Ephel Duath have created what could easily become a cult, genre-defining release.
Elitist MOSH906CD 19th May 2003
By Russell Garwood
To begin, this is unlike anything you have ever heard before. It is completely new, unprecedented and unique. Something different from previous Ephel Duath releases that defies definition, description and categorization. Guitarist, composer and lyricist Davide Tisos project has now expanded from a duo to a full band, featuring members from disparate and seemingly incongruous musical backgrounds. On "The Painters Palette", we now have the extremely impressive skills of bass player Fabio Fecchio; more of a prog/fusion musician, his bass lines are prominent, and complement quieter flowing sections while going crazy in heavy parts. Breaks like those in Labyrinthine show the complexity of some sections, and create interesting contrasts in an already diverse sound.
Drums come courtesy of Davide Piovesan, a jazz/blues percussion teacher who not only handles the odd time signatures and constant time changes with grace, but has also adapted to metal-style drumming remarkably well in the louder sections. It is in quieter passages that his diversity and talent become really apparent, however, and he is a valuable addition to this multifaceted group. Clean vox, handled by Davide Tolomei, are well-placed and account for around half the vocal attack. The melodies are rarely catchy but fit with the technical, jumping music well, and provide a valuable contrast to the hardcore-influenced shouts of Lucio Lorusso. The only drafted member with an extreme metal background, his screams are unforgiving and effective, often playing off singing and melodic sections to create sudden character changes. The guitars of Davide are - as ever - competently performed, ever-changing and contain enough memorable hooks to offset an often all-over-the-place technical approach. Frequent trumpets add further variety and an authentic jazz feel, all aided by top-notch production.
The music can best be described as a fusion of jazz, hardcore and progressive metal a label which in no way does it justice. From the mind-expanding pandemonium of heavy sections, through laid back instrumental phrases, to all out modern jazz passages, all compositions are clearly the same band. In essence, Ephel Duath are not merely jazz-influenced, they are creating a true fusion of two previously largely separate genres.
"The Painters Palette" itself follows an interesting concept in which each song represents a colour thoughtfully provided on the track listings but with strict instructions to interpret them loosely. This is accompanied by a multimedia section featuring a video, making of and band pictures, a short note from Davide T., pre-production recordings, lyrics and contact information. Standout tracks are impossible to choose as the highest standard is maintained throughout. It is also not possible to listen to only one song of "The Painters Palette" - stopping is out of the question once youre past the middle of the first track. Not a release for all metal fans, I can nevertheless see this album gaining widespread recognition, and even if this is not the case, I believe Ephel Duath have created what could easily become a cult, genre-defining release.
Although it'll probably be too cerebral for my to understand, I still await hearing it with ush'd awe 
