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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