Myrath – Desert Call
XIII BIS Records - 2010
By Adam McAuley
The band Myrath has all the ingredients blended for a nicely Egyptian-tinged platter of progressive metal. They bring together a focused sound that has the necessary keyboards and other elements of prog, but manages to make them sound great in combination without ever becoming overly indulgent. Desert Call is thus tasteful in its approach and execution. It should be accessible to a variety of metal fans looking for a balanced progressive work that shows emotion and depth, but within a focused viewpoint.
The title track, “Desert Call”, is well done and fits into the proceedings well. The drumming can often be tribal, as seen from this track as well as the excellent follow-up “Madness”. Unsurprisingly, the long next song “Silent Cries” is excellent as well. The band similar has a singular agenda that is different from what you’ll hear in a lot of prog. This is largely due to the Egyptian influence that can be found. Don’t think there isn’t some solid musicianship to be found as well, because there certainly is. Passionate guitar playing, keyboard work and drumming is backed up by some slightly less overwhelming singing that is nonetheless reasonably strong as well. The performances are consistently great throughout, culminating with the tightly performed “Empty World” near the end of the disc.
Altogether, Myrath show themselves to be beyond solid and worthy of close inspection by almost any metal fan. There’s little to find fault with in their complete musical package. Desert Call is the compelling progressive metal listen you’ve been searching for. It manages to sound authentic without being pretentious or over the top, though the band could try something a little more adventurous on the next effort. They could add more interludes or interesting sections without indulging in unnecessary displays of musical prowess and become an even better band in the process.
Official Myrath Band Website
Official Myrath My Space Website
Official XII BIS Records Website
XIII BIS Records - 2010
By Adam McAuley
The band Myrath has all the ingredients blended for a nicely Egyptian-tinged platter of progressive metal. They bring together a focused sound that has the necessary keyboards and other elements of prog, but manages to make them sound great in combination without ever becoming overly indulgent. Desert Call is thus tasteful in its approach and execution. It should be accessible to a variety of metal fans looking for a balanced progressive work that shows emotion and depth, but within a focused viewpoint.
The title track, “Desert Call”, is well done and fits into the proceedings well. The drumming can often be tribal, as seen from this track as well as the excellent follow-up “Madness”. Unsurprisingly, the long next song “Silent Cries” is excellent as well. The band similar has a singular agenda that is different from what you’ll hear in a lot of prog. This is largely due to the Egyptian influence that can be found. Don’t think there isn’t some solid musicianship to be found as well, because there certainly is. Passionate guitar playing, keyboard work and drumming is backed up by some slightly less overwhelming singing that is nonetheless reasonably strong as well. The performances are consistently great throughout, culminating with the tightly performed “Empty World” near the end of the disc.
Altogether, Myrath show themselves to be beyond solid and worthy of close inspection by almost any metal fan. There’s little to find fault with in their complete musical package. Desert Call is the compelling progressive metal listen you’ve been searching for. It manages to sound authentic without being pretentious or over the top, though the band could try something a little more adventurous on the next effort. They could add more interludes or interesting sections without indulging in unnecessary displays of musical prowess and become an even better band in the process.
Official Myrath Band Website
Official Myrath My Space Website
Official XII BIS Records Website
