It’s no secret how much love I hold for this Athenian prog metal band. They were one of the first bands I covered whilst writing for this site back in 2014 and I have followed their career closely, covering each of their releases and being simply captivated by the massively atmospheric and emotionally intense music offered. Having to follow up ‘Artifacts’ would be a demanding task for any band, add in having to deal with the passing of their keyboard player Makis Tsamkosoglou on stage during the tour of that album, many bands would struggle to recover. Luckily the band adapted, living by their ideology of Rise, Evolve, the now four-piece regrouped and have come back stronger as a result. With an album name meaning ‘Great Mother’ in Latin, referring to the idea of maternal deities, most notably Cybele, it’s time for us to once again take a journey with Mother of Millions.
The atmospheric opening of “Inside” begins the album. With a growing choir and synth lines, it explodes into a huge sounding groove riff which hits heavy and hard. The steady pace of the drums matches the pounding guitar and once it transitions to the verse, the magic begins. The rich, warm and emotive vocals hook you immediately as a subtle synth and deep bass provide the backdrop before the track begins to open up and the massive chorus comes crashing in with that massive and heavy riff once more. Towards the middle of the track it eases up with an ominous descending piano melody combined with big low end heavy guitar and bass stabs before it eases off into another build up section, this time with some interesting drum fills before the slow and lingering lead shifts things towards the final chorus. It’s a great way to open the album and a good preview of what to expect on this release.
“Feral” is heavy from the start. With the big groove riff driving it on, it slips into an intricate guitar riff driven verse with the powerful vocals carrying it forwards. Tailing off briefly, the bass leads the way in the transition with its rich and thick rumbling as the track ascends into the big groove riff once again for the chorus section which then shifts into an extended verse riff section before the vocals come in. The subtle layered scream vocals in the verse sitting at the tail end of some of the lines add that extra edge and depth before it goes full throttle into a heavy riff which collapses in on itself before an angular lead transition to the final run of the track. Titular track “Magna Matter” comes in with a big vocal performance over a dramatic backdrop. Mixing massive roars with the powerful vocals Mother of Millions are known for, the track slowly stomps on with a massive atmosphere and captivating presence. This suddenly subsides as a softer female vocal melody begins with some interesting layering, creating a hypnotic chant like effect over a steadily increasing sense of tension. The music kicks back in hard with plenty of sustained chords and melodic accenting giving a massive sound and presence, backing the main vocals up. It certainly demonstrates that the band have taken a heavier approach to their sound, with the atmospheric side of their sound being absolutely massive. The shifting between the haunting female chant vocals and the powerful male vocals creates some excellent shifts and when both combine over the heavy distortion, the chants echoing around the male line which shifts to powerful roars at points, it’s arranged fantastically!
“Celestial” is very reminiscent of the band’s previous album ‘Artifacts’ but it has a heavier edge to its delivery. With the steady pacing of the verse driven forward by the simple but effective riff, it shifts to a vocal/drum/synth section which has plenty of space but manages to fill it effectively. The almost free-time feel drums under the vocals allow for the track to build up before the massive chorus comes crashing in as the synths ramp up significantly and the sound really expands. The heavy bridge section adds a darker edge to the track but the real point of interest is the bridge which follows this round the 2:33 point. The vocal/drum/synth section returns to the forefront again and it builds up as it progresses, a thick and heavy bass joins in as the vocals amp up once more before it shifts into an absolutely massive final chorus with some real powerful vocal work capping it off. “Liminal” switches things about, opening with a piano and pseudo-falsetto vocal melody which then leads into a piano driven section. The haunting sound of the piano echoes out in the ambience before the vocals come in with a lower and softer edge. Laced in plenty of reverb, the vocals linger before sharpening up as the band comes in for a slow and pounding delivery. The huge guitar chords, dramatic synths and pounding drums create a formidable wall of sound and this pattern of switching continues, shifting between the all-out delivery and the sombre piano sections.
“The Line” makes its presence known with a dramatic swell in volume from the samples and electronic aspects into a big guitar and bass riff which has a real bite to its sound and a chunky groove. This suddenly shifts to a lone piano arrangement of this riff, showing how good it sounds, capturing a bright edge with the melodic line and a warm feel from the chords. The vocals are well placed in the mix, sitting in the sweet spot and they don’t overpower the melody behind. The arrangement is well worked and as it builds, with synths mirroring the progression, each second opening the track more and creating a real dramatic tension which is just begging to explode to life. On the 2:43 mark, the guitar and bass arrangement of the melody comes in with percussion which helps drive the tension before it springs to life on the 3:15 point. The synths open up, the guitar and bass slap down some big chords and the vocals take on a life of their own with a melodic charge before it trails off in a piano line with subtle feedback. The empowering and uplifting feel is massive and honestly, from a compositional view, this is the best track of the album.
“Halo” follows on from this feedback with a hammering guitar and synth driven run before the verse brings back shades of ‘Human’, the band’s first album. The stripped back percussion and bass loaded verse shifts to a melodic and bright sounding transition before it slams back in with a huge and heavy chorus which mirrors the intro. The vocals have a bit more venom in the delivery but still retain the formidable power in the delivery. The middle section of the track is very drum driven with the powerful fills dictating the dynamics of the track and a variation of the transition section soon follows this before once again leading into the explosive chorus. “Irae” is the penultimate track, and it opens up with the vocals and some ambient effects. With a haunting edge and atmosphere, the effects are joined by additional vocal work and an almost hypnotic piano melody as more layers of synth and samples join in. Creating a rich and hypnotic tapestry of sound, the pianos dance around the vocals before the drums come in with an exotic flair, adding to the captivating atmosphere before it comes alive on the 1:40 point with some big guitar chords and delay-laden lead lines to add more atmosphere. Trailing off into percussion, the vocals come back, slightly refrained in the delivery but this is only brief as everything comes crashing back – big, sustained chords, hypnotic piano refrain and big drums all back up the now more prominent vocals. It might not hit the same as ‘The Line’ did, but once again, the compositional work, the dynamic delivery and the arrangement is phenomenal. Round the 4:00 point it gets real dramatic, with a massive synth sound accompanied by dramatic vocal work and some very aggressive drumming.
“Space”, the final track of the release has a sombre air about it. Opening up with piano and vocals only, it soon is joined by a warm bass and percussive elements, giving it a fuller sound but still retaining that melancholic vibe. As always, the vocals are very dynamic in their delivery, conveying emotion with every sound uttered and when the string arrangements come in and get more prominence, it teases at exploding to life as more ambience and effects surge to life before it finally drops at 2:43. Huge guitar chords, dramatic sustained falsetto vocals, steps of orchestral strings and synths, it is a very dramatic and grandiose arrangement which climaxes before shifting to a brighter sounding piano arrangement to wrap the track up.
Like I said at the start, it is no secret how much I love Mother of Millions. Their complex arrangements and compositions have captivated me for the past 10 years and “Magna Mater” has reaffirmed my belief in their atmospheric and emotionally charged blend of progressive metal. Heavier sounding but still expressive and engaging, ‘Magna Mater’ has shown that the Greek progressive metal act has delivered once again. Whilst it might not be my personal pick of their discography, ‘Artifacts’ being my personal choice for their best album, ‘Magna Mater’ is a phenomenal record. My words can try to get across just how good this album is, but in order to understand, you really need to experience this release to understand why it is a bona-fide contender for album of the year.
Rise, Evolve.
(9.5/10 Fraggle)
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