Chuck Schuldiner Project

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Levania-Parasynthesis



Symphonic folk metal is a genre that is hard to get right, especially when its female fronted. Usually these bands descend into an over-sexualized operatic metal bonanza that is in fact fairly bland. So its rather refreshing to hear a band that breaks away from these norms and adds a couple elements of its own to the mix. On Parasynthesis Levania manage to make a unique album that seamlessly blends male and female vocals along with the odd death growl. A veritable prothalmion in vocal mastery and magical songwriting Parasynthesis is a treat for all folk and symphonic metallers.

The true triumph of this album is a vocal one. I love the combination of a variety of styles, from earthy male vocals to operatic female ones. The crux of the album is the way that these are intertwined creating an unforgettable and lasting impression. Meanwhile the general instrumentation is very solid. The epic soundscapes provided on tracks like Basteth's Kiss are very tasty and surprisingly not metal. In fact the electric guitar really takes a back seat hear mostly providing timbre and the occasional folky melody. Instead the keyboards soar above the mix and help make the music more poignant.

In sum, this is an album that any fan of vocal mastery will love. It has a certain technical and majestic aspect to it that allows Levania to stand out. Parasynthesisis truly a joy to listen too, the sheer down to earth power of it is fabulous, with stellar production to boot there is very little to complain about on this record. So, if you're into folk and symphonic metal and would like to hear something new Parasynthesis might very well be for you!

Check them out on facebook!

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