Melechesh – The Epigenesis (2010)

Continuing in the same vein as “Sphynx” and “Emissaries”, Melechesh unleashes upon us a high caliber Middle Eastern influenced Black/Death Metal assault with “The Epigenesis”. For those of us that like a little more substance in your music, Melechesh manages to fuse Middle Eastern folk elements with heart-pounding Metal elements creating an elaborated, yet accessible album that blends through genres like sugar in water.

Expanding their sound with more traditional elements, the band greatly refines their sound when compared to their older releases. The crushing riffing, blasting drumming, and pounding bass guitar lines are as good as always, but not you can hear different patterns in the riffing, giving you a more elaborate sound that fans of the bands will greatly appreciate. The overall result is a very ritualistic experience that masterfully adorns the mystical and mythological backdrop of the album’s lyrics.

The band’s leader, Ashmedi, handles: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion in most of this album. A feat that allows Melechesh to sound very cohesive and exactly as Ashmedi wants the public to perceive his musical ideas. While you will not get the expansive Middle Eastern experience that bands like Orphaned Land produce on their albums, we get enough elements that give the album an authentic edge, while remaining harsh and Metal-like. Ashmedi makes sure that things sound authentic yet aggressive enough.

The vocals on the album are in the traditional vein of Melechesh, a raspy Black Metal-like shriek that is very understandable and evil enough to please BM fans. The extra vocals in shapes of chants are very eerie and add to the overall Folk-ish experience of this release. Most songs are over 5 minutes and quickly immerse the listener into the mystical experience of “The Epigeneses”.

With massive songs like the album titled track, we get a full 12 minute outer body experience through the Melechesh world, with a mixture of Folk elements with pounding riffs, harsh vocals and sublime drumming. Other tracks like “When Halos of Candles Collide” and “A Greater Chain of Being” feature the instrumental side of the band, exploiting the Middle Eastern elements and creating a hypnotic vibe, exactly at the middle of this great album.

If you are looking for full-on aggressive songs, “Defeating the Gigants” provides a nice pace changing song with furious riffing, blasting drums, and harsh vocals. “Grand Gathas of Baal Sin” is another aural assault that has brilliant double-kick sections that greatly improve the brutality of this track.

On all levels, “The Epigenesis” is a brilliant continuation of Melechesh’s work to date. The album features the exact amount of Folk elements and aggressiveness that a Metal release should have. We can only expect this band to get better with time, but for now, we settle with catching them live on their 2011 tour with Rotting Christ over North America.

Release: October 26th, 2010

Country: Israel