If you like progressive metal in the vein of Symphony X or Lanfear then The Pathway, the debut album of Anthriel, is a must. This Finnish band has made a great album, not very original but extremely well played. In other words: it's just great music. The band was formed back in 2004 and three years later they came up with a three-track EP called Visions Of Inner Light And Deeper Thoughts. When a year later power vocalist Simo Silvan joined the band, the sound really got better and tighter. The music of Anthriel is a mix of traditional heavy metal, neo-classical metal, power metal and symphonic metal. This means that you can expect great guitar riffs, deft keyboard passages, pounding drums, roaring bass guitar and last but not least: healthy expressive vocals which are sometimes a bit over the top. My absolute favourite track is the epic prog metal gem Chains Of The Past as it is diverse, filled with lots of tempo changes and quiet passages. In the middle-section of the song you can enjoy a neo-classical guitar solo à la Yngwie Malmsteen. The vocals on this track are the best of the entire album; really emotional that is. The music on this album is impressive; sometimes I hear influences from Kansas or Savatage. These guys have great musical skills and this album is really entertaining from the first note to the last and the superb production does the rest. So, if you are into heavy, pop, acoustic, orchestral, instrumental and symphonic metal than you should buy this album without more ado. I'm sure you'll love it. Last tip: play it loud! **** Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
