The Pitch: Norwegian progressive, symphonic extreme metal band Endolith release their new concept album about dinosaur extinction via Rob Mules Records. FFO: Ihsahn, Winterhorde, Fleshgod Apocalypse
What I Like: Another interesting union of sounds. Take equal parts groove metal, djenty guitar tone, Dimmu Borgir symphonic orchestration, and a dash of Blind Guardian and voila! Endolith is born. Vox lean more heavily in favor of the harsh, death metal side of things, but I appreciate that like Winterhorde and Ihsahn, the band toss in some melodramatic, semi-operatic clean singing to shake things up. This move should come off as particularly surprising to those simply sampling the Meshuggah-esque hook that opens up "Nest Scrape Display;" but there they are, alongside piano just a few minutes into the very same song. None of this seems like if should work, and yet Endolith bring all of these seemingly disparate sounds into a strange harmony, especially on the nearly 10 minute headbanging opus "Chicxulub." And as if that wasn't enough, you did read that pitch correctly: this album is about the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico where an asteroid set off an extinction event 66 milion years ago. No missed opportunities for creativity with this album. "We spared no expense."
Critiques: I'm not a fan of "Diseasons." The singing on this one just bugs me, and the whole track leans too heavily in a traditionalist prog direction for my taste. It sounds like a discarded Ihsahn B-side that just happens to have a pretty killer death metal breakdown. Too little too late, unfortunately.
The Verdict: This is the progressive metal dinosaur opera you never knew you needed, but absolutely do. Never before has their plight seemed so dramatic and real since I first watched The Land Before Time. Leave it to an obscure Norwegian band called Endolith to give them the swansong they deserve.
Flight's Fav's: Nest Scrape Display, Ichthys, Mount Evidence
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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