Pyogenesis are back with the second in what has been revealed to be a Victorian-era themed trilogy of albums which begun in 2015 with “A Century In The Curse Of Time” which was a hard hitting and melodic slice of metal from a band who are widely considered to be one of the most innovative and influential bands in Germany’s rock and metal scene. Continuing on from where the previous release left off, the conceptual Victorian theme continues, touching once again on the social and economic changes which hit Germany and other modernised nations at the time in the 19th century. So let’s get on board this steam train and head through the fantasy world Steam Punks often aspire to recreate.
Continuity wise, this album flows on well from its predecessor in both theme and sound. The arrangements, musical delivery, sound and style all have familiarity with ‘A Century In the Curse Of Time’ and it also helps explain why this release has an instant feel of familiarity.
From the short opening track, “Sleep Is Good” with its gentle and melodic symphonic overtures which explodes into “Everyman For Himself”, it mirrors the previous release with this set up and once again, the explosive, hard hitting Teutonic metal tones and dynamic vocal displays from metallic growls to raw sounding cleans delivered with power and passion rear their heads, and again, with the repetition, this is a trait which courses through the album.
Varied in what is on offer, “A Kingdom To Disappear” hits all the musical bases Pyogenesis have touched on during their long and impressive career. Hints of thrash metal and groove metal sit alongside progressive elements and goth/industrial elements. From the dark and gothic rock friendly “I Have Seen My Soul” to the hypnotic and pseudo-prog sounding “New Helvetia” which brings in classical guitar sounds and layers of harmony vocals to the more industrial-groove metal bangers of “We (1848)” and “Blaze, My Northern Flame”, the tracks are all well delivered and varied enough to sound fresh. But still retain the familiarity in the first instalment in this series of releases.
Capping the album, once again is a 12+ minute length track. “Everlasting Pain” has that big grandiose feel to it, much like that of the title track of the last release. Emotionally charged, the musical and vocal delivery is an indicator of how personal this project is to the band and it is reflected well. With carefully crafted build up sections to help transition through the titanic track and shift it onwards. With elements of melancholic feel and a despairing edge to them across the track, being augmented by the musical display, it’s a strange way to c lose what has been, on the whole a bright sounding release, but it does close it well.
In all, “A Kingdom To Disappear” delivers well musically but the very familiar feel, almost as if it is a carbon-copy in places of its predecessor is too big to ignore. A little more progression or diversity in styling would have been nice, but as the saying goes, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!” and for Pyogenesis, this much is true.
(7/10 Fraggle)
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