| Reviews for Agathodaimon's Phoenix |
| Up from the ashes with a new set of wings. Again. - 50% |
| Written by Phase
on March 31st, 2009
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| Finally! Whole five years has passed since Agathodaimon released Serpent's embrace, a gothic metal experience with a slight touch of melodic black metal. With that they took a different approach compared to their earlier releases, which were a very tasteful mixture of symphonic black metal with gothic parts. In a way, one could say the band has taken the opposite method on Serpent's embrace, focusing more on gothic metal and adding a little of blackish ingredients to make once again quite tasteful (although not as good as on earlier releases) mixture which turned out as a charismatic whole. On Phoenix, this formula is once again changed in the favour of gothic, altough this time the black parts are almost completely taken out. Those of you, who are hoping to hear something that resembles Blacken the Angel or Chapter III (or anything of older age for that matter), are going to be disappointed. Very. This album can and cannot be compared to Serpent's embrace. Similar lines can be drawn in the sense that this is still gothic metal with blackish screeches, clean singing and even some deathly growls, all done competently. What this release lacks in tons, is the aforementioned charisma, the feeling of darkness, sadness, anger, (you name it), that were a trademark for earlier records. What we hear are only buzzing guitars and an asortment of vocals with mostly mid-paced drums. Everything is sometimes backed up with keyboards, wich are supposed to make some atmospheric feel, or so i think, but fail most of the time. So what we have here falls miserably to the curse of GENERIC. To someone who is following Agathodaimon from their early days, the sadness is only doubled. Of course, if I put my expectations and feelings aside, the performance is quite good, for what it is. Also, there are some tracks that could be compared to Serpent's embrace ( and to only that album, sadly ) like Decline or Amongst the Vultures. Heliopolis comes with almost happy melody, which is only that more weird. I understand that a lot of time has passed since their last full-lenght release and that musical tastes change with time, but Agathodaimon on Phoenix lost their last shreds of identity. What was once a majestic and dramatic is now bland and boring. The gap between past and present for this musical group is wide and widening. Phoenix arisen, Phoenix fallen. |