This 11-track album is the début by a Lisbon based Portuguese quintet who only formed last year. Stylistically they are quite an amalgamation of several genres, but lean rather heavily toward melodic death metal in a very Gothenburg way. Opening the album with the pretty intro “In The Dark” where David Pais whispers over the guitar that breaks into the “Open Your Eyes” riff played by Sérgio Melo and João Quintais containing both a rather heavy chromatic along with a melodious accompaniment, much like the way the clean vocals are followed by death growls then intertwined during the chorus before being drowned out by the lead solo.
Ricardo Reis’s sharp snare punctuates his thumping kick drums in much the same way the David and Sérgio combine their vocals on “Your Betrayal” with the higher pitched clean being emphasised by the more guttural growls.
“Drowning In Hatred” starts off sounding as if it’s going to be a brooding doom song before the drums kick in with a black metal tempo that completely throws you when they are reigned back in by the guitars allowing them the freedom to fill out the sound with plenty of rolls on the toms and cymbals.
The clean followed by death vocals on “The Unspoken” are used in a way that simulates a conversation between two very differently opining people, something the lead trade-offs continue to great effect.
The short choppy bursts of guitar on “This Fire Will Rise” sound more like rapid fireworks than the gentle flames that are the vocals as they lap up the pace and ignore any attempts to increase them.
“The Fall Of Man” opens off with a broody riff that doesn’t any waste time keeping up as soon as the drums set off, but have no problem setting the tone once more as soon as they are able.
Far more soothing is “Far Away From You” with its steady rhythm, but ultra-melodic vocals that do not waver at all, even when the drums throw in the occasional blast.
“Ethereal” on the other hand is a straight up attack with Pedro Martinho’s bass popping along to the kick drum as the clean and death vocals swap with the pace of the song.
The title track “The Event Horizon” is predominately-clean vocals with accompanying death, and clean for the chorus, rather than the other way around for a change.
Somehow, “No Time To Waste” has a far rockier upbeat feel than any of the other songs, and if it weren’t for the odd sprinkling of death vocals, I’m pretty sure it could easily get plenty of radio play on commercial radio.
This is a really good album, with plenty of hooks to the songs that makes each listen highlight something new and interesting that you glossed over before.
(7/10 Marco Gaminara)
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