I think it’s going a bit far to describe Feradur as “Luxembourg’s death metal royalty” as the publicity does, since I’m struggling to name any band from the Grand Duchy, let alone anyone blessed with royalty. Still, this EP is nicely packaged, and the band has plenty of experience, having formed in 2006 and released two albums previously. A parakosm, in case you’re interested and like me didn’t know, is a detailed imaginary world. So that’s what we have here.
There’s a piece of gold to start. Well, the title is “Midas” at least. A dramatic build-up signalling the sort of thing you’d hear at the sound of a concert set expands into a fiery mist, Agalloch style. The tempo and build up intensify like a storm, and the song finishes with an energetic burst of melodic metal. For fans of Mors Principium Est, At the Gates, Maiden, Opeth, Kalmah and others, they say. Absolutely but let’s give Feradur credit here for great build up, tight control, melody and song structure. The sound engineer is Jens Bogren who specialises in the field of melodic metal. So all good. Now we’re sailing. “Crest of Betrayal” is classic melodeath. There’s loads of energy, a nice flow, flamboyant guitar work, deathly growls and a jolly good structure. Nothing original, especially when compared to those Finnish bands, but I enjoyed listening to it, and I’m sure others would too. “Saviours” takes the Finnishness further. The insistent chugging riff provides the frame for this aggressive, yet most accessible and headbang-friendly melodic metal. Little breaks and switches make it more interesting. Feradur are good musicians and know how to work a song, and no doubt an audience if given a chance.
I must confess that at first I misread “Tetsuo” as “Tesco”. So rather than being about 2 for 1 retail offers, this song concentrates in common with the rest of the work on human despair, including the crass lyric “Let us copulate our despair, we shall melt the cities! (chanted), your future is metal, your past is disease”. We get the sound of “societal collapse”. I think I’ll leave the lyrics and express my appreciation for the song, whose pumping dark energy is a hallmark of this band. The final of the five songs “Host of the Nightmare” goes deeper and darker, making a welcome change. The rhythm guitarist is back at his lively tricks, and the tempo of the song surpasses anything that’s gone previously before reverting to the dark and spidery web of heaviness. “Host of the Nightmare” is a bit all over the place stylistically but finishes on a note of high energy, and that’s a good thing.
No, it’s not especially original and I could quote a list of Finnish melodeathsters that this sounds like, but “Parokosm” is enjoyable and engaging, and that does nicely for me.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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