On disc: Myrath

 
 Desert Call
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Tales Of The Sands
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

Tales Of The Sands

(XIII Bis Records / Nightmare Records - 2011)



 
 

 

Desert Call was my first encounter with Myrath - and the Tunisians impressed me. So I was curious to hear more of their Oriental-tinted prog power metal. The new album is called Tales Of The Sands and it kicks off with Under Siege, riff-based track with symphonic elements next to Oriental sounds and like the icing on the cake Zaher Zorgati great vocal performance. Braving The Seas is another powerful progressive tune - and very catchy. But as in the past the songs have twists and turns, something I love, especially if it's so brilliantly executed!



They choose Merciless Times for a video, perhaps as it has more traditional Arabic sounds... Anyway, just check out the video!











And if the first tunes haven't won you over, give the title track a spin! Heavy riffs, Oriental sound elements, vocals which range from soft to powerful and which sound unusual for Western ears, but bring to you ears the flavor of Tunisia.



With Sour Sigh they add another flavor to it, well another feel. Dawn Within shows their metal side, but also offers some soft vocal parts, some progressive frenzy and the excellent guitar play Malek Ben Arbia. Actually every tune is a winner. At Beyond The Stars they show their progressive side as well as their Oriental roots, first it's like they face each other, get into a conversation. The closer Apostrophe For A Legend is simple enchanting! An ear catcher!



Myrath will promote Tales Of The Sand live on tour with Orphaned Land, and that's a great package. I hope they will tour a lot more in future... I would like to see them hit the road with Epica, for me it would make a great package. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter, coz Myrath will give every other band a tough time!

 

 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Desert Call

(Nightmare Records - 2010)



 
 

 

With Myrath a truly unique band is taking a step onto the international prog power metal scene. The quintet from Tunisia started as Xtazy - only singer Zaher Zorgatti wasn't part of Xtazy - and is now introducing the international music scene to their mix of progressive metal and Oriental sounds. The band name means 'legacy' and they combine their musical legacy with prog metal / art rock sounds. The opener Forever And A Day shows this very well, a catchy powerful prog metal tune. While other bands use Arabic sounds to spice up one or the other song, the Tunisians do this on every track. Sometimes it might sound strange to Westerners ears, but it's worth giving a few spins, coz one might discover one of the most unique prog metal bands! Musically Myrath are targeting the fans of Dream Theater, Symphony X and old Lions' Share. Another good choice to check out the 2nd Myrath album is the title track Desert Call. The tune combines powerful prog metal with Oriental vocal lines, but also shows that the guys know how to play! The song is just shy of 7 minutes and even during the instrumental passages they can keep the listeners interest. One of my favorites is Silent Cries, another long track with more then 10 minutes, but due to twists and turns it doesn't seem to be that long! Memories kicks off slowly with acoustic guitar, some kind of flute and vocals. Beautiful ballad. The following Ironic Destiny shows them heavy and riff-based! A song Kamelot fans might dig... But Myrath are more progressive and offer a large variety of sounds.

Every power prog metal fan should check out Myrath! The Tunisian band is playing on a high level, has great songs and due to the Oriental elements and instruments a unique sound!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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