It's been a LONG four years since Emissaries, but Israel's black metal merchants Melechesh are back with another stellar slab of Mesopotamian Metal, this one called The Epigenesis. If you loved their take on Middle Eastern tinged black metal in the past, then there's no doubt you'll be thrilled with what's on display here.
Ashmedi (vocals, guitars), Moloch (guitars), Rahm (bass), and Xul (drums), have crafted an enjoyable collection of raging, technical mayhem here on The Epigenesis. The non-stop riffing from Ashmedi & Moloch is really quite stunning, as the duo weave a non-stop barrage of Middle Eastern flavored heavy riffs and blazing unison passages on full-on blasts such as "Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin", "Ghouls Of Nineveh", and the crushing "Sacred Geometry". Think of a black metal version of Nile, and you are on the right track with these guys. The blitzkrieg continues on "The Magickan And The Drones", as more weaving, punishing riffs collide with jackhammer drum blasts and Ashmedi's demonic wailing, and the epic, near 9-minute "Mystics of the Pillar" slows things down a bit for some collossal, monolithic arrangements. The 12-minute title track is a total joy as well, as the band add in some ethnic instruments amongst the piledriving metal journey. Only real letdown here are the two meandering sitar-led instrumentals, which kind of break the flow of the CD and are probably too long for their own good.
Production wise, The Epigenesis is a great sounding CD, and the guitars especially are quite massive. Melechesh have returned folks, and they mean business.
Track Listing
1.Ghouls Of Nineveh
2.Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin
3.Sacred Geometry
4.The Magickan And The Drones
5.Mystics Of The Pillar
6.When Halos Of Candles Collide
7.Defeating the Giants
8.Illumination - The Face Of Shamash
9.Negative Theology
10.A Greater Chain Of Being
11.The Epigenesis
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
