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Of all of the heavy metal albums released in the early part of the 21st century, only a handful may stand the test of time. Eparistera Daimones, the debut full-length from Triptykon released in 2010, will be one of those albums.
A gigantic, baroque album of what was a natural progression from Monotheist, the last proper release from Celtic Frost, Eparistera Daimones is an unbelievably dense assault on the senses with a crushing, suffocating sense of weight.
Sprawling songs and riffs are intertwined with moments of haunting beauty; beauty that is juxtaposed with frontman Tom G. Warrior’s misanthropy and absolute hatred of all those that have impeded his artistic path.
Warrior’s demons returned, however, after the touring cycle for Eparistera Daimones had been completed, and Triptykon’s other members themselves wondered if the band was truly finished. Not so, as stirrings of a new album in the works began early last year, finally now culminating with the release of their second full-length album, Melana Chasmata.
Melana Chasmata is a quieter, more introspective album than Eparistera Daimones. The production values are much the same, but the sheer density displayed on Eparistera Daimones is much more subtle on this album. Songs segue into one another with more fluidity than those of Eparistera Daimones, resulting in an album that seems to be more of a single composition, rather than of separate songs.
Many of the songs are hard hitting, such as the opener, “Tree Of Suffocating Souls,” and, in particular, “Breathing,” which is certainly the fastest Triptykon song to date with a thrash metal gallop to go along with a lot of big riffs.
However, Melana Chasmata really shines with the quieter songs, songs that resonate with an alternating pattern of melody and harshness.
For example, “Boleskine House” opens with strummed guitar, Warrior’s cleaner vocal style, and harmonious female vocals before giving way to a deep bass and a gigantic riff. The female vocals are noteworthy, having only made momentary appearances on Eparistera Daimones, but are emphasized a great deal more throughout Melana Chasmata. Their full fruition is realized in the album’s closer, the haunting “Waiting,” a melancholic track that also features some wonderful, melodic guitar soloing, a tactic used a couple of other times earlier in the album.
The alternating pattern of quiet and harsh moments is used in a very effective manner throughout Melana Chasmata, giving the listener a thorough listening experience that coincides with the album’s emotional highs and lows. Therefore, Melana Chasmata is an album that has been written to be taken in one sitting, demanding that the listener fully devote the necessary hour plus’ worth of attention at any one time.
Individual songs seem to lack a certain sense of stand alone playability; but, this is an asset, not a detriment, as Warrior has obviously taken pains to fully develop Melana Chasmata as a single composition.
Many of the best, emotional albums in heavy metal demand time from the listener, not just any one sitting, but in terms of the coming months of revisiting the album in order to form a lasting impression and opinion. More so than any other album released this year, Melana Chasmata is such an album. Some are already referring to Melana Chasmata as Warrior’s masterwork; a label that may, in fact, be correct.
(released April 15, 2014 on Century Media Records)
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