Erimha: Reign Through Immortality

These days, everyone knows that there are strong connections between heavy metal and horror. Alice Cooper (though not exactly a metal act) saw the ties between the two years ago and has made a pretty good living out of it. Even though Erimha (Sumerian for "Legion" or "Army") isn't exactly drawing inspiration from Halloween or The Evil Dead, they are very committed to the whole corpse paint thing. Just take a look at a picture of these guys and see for yourself. I'm especially freaked out by the way Gore (lead vocals) likes to have a line drawn down the middle of his face. At times, he looks like two half faces performing.

Still, for a band that's only been around for a few years and has already replaced two of its members, Erimha sounds like they've been going at it for a long time. For musical inspiration, these guys turn mostly to materials from Sumerian culture, another source of inspiration behind some of the costumes, especially the mast worn by one of its members. At times, it's hard to take these theatrics seriously; after all, the costumes really do border on camp and band members don't always seem aware that there's a fine line between horror and humor.

Fortunately, the music on this album is bold and interesting and doesn't falter into cliché too much. This band isn't re-inventing the wheel—listeners will hear plenty of familiar sounds and styles—but they play well and sound great. I'm told that they are also a very engaging live act and that audiences are catching on to this band in droves. The music on this album mostly blends death metal with symphonic and melodic components; the result is a very heavy album that has the feel of a movie soundtrack. It's good stuff. I really enjoyed "Saunter to Extinction," mostly because the image is priceless. You're about to be destroyed—so walk, don't run, to the battlefield.

Track Listing:
1. Enlightenment
2. Ascetic
3. Condemned to Desolation
4. Bewildering Nightmare
5. Saunter to Extinction
6. The Ritual of Internicion
7. Metaphysic Countenance
8. Verdict of the Soul
9. Cataclysmic Tides
10. Metempsychosis

Added: August 7th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2249
Language: english

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