Elvaron – Ghost of a Blood Tie (2016)

Hailing from France today we have Elvaron, a very interesting Progressive Metal with solid skills and even better song writing chops. Delivering over 60 minutes of engaging music, the band combines elements of the greats of the genre, but infuses their own uniqueness to craft a signature style. As one of the liveliest releases we have heard so far in 2016, this is one album that should appeal any fan of the genre.

Opening with the instrumental acrobatics of “The Journey Within”, the band instantly showcases their musicianship with killer guitars, playful keyboards, and an overall epic feeling to this track. The vocals finally appear on “Silent Windows”, giving the music a Thrash Metal edge, while maintaining their killer Prog elements. The first standout track comes under the name of “A Price to Pay”, where the band combines their instrumental acrobatics with male and female vocals, creating a very playful combination.

Another personal favorite is the very mellow “No Town of Mine” and its atmospheric elements. The band’s guitarist Matthieu Morand always keeps songs interesting and filled with solid riffs and killer solos. The Ayreon-esque “Run Away in Fright” showcases some of Shuguang Li’s piano chops, but the dramatic “Distant Shores”, delivers some truly brilliant piano sections which make this piece very dramatic.

Closing with the 15-minute behemoth “The Man Who Wears My Face”, the band delivers a very proggy closing to this release. Reiterating their advanced songwriting skills, and killer individual musical proficiencies, Elvaron nicelu summarizes “Ghost of a Blood Tie” in this last mega track. Perfectly fitting in the Progressive Metal realm, this release breaks away from the traditional norms and centers more on engaging songs rather than the genre’s clichés. If you are looking out for something different, well-crafted and catchy, but still very proggy, look no further and get your copy of this release.

Label: Fantai'zic Productions

Release: April 11th, 2016

Genre: Progressive Metal

Country: France