Echoes of a Dying World - Revelations

If, like me, you're discovering this band for the first time, let's start with a bit of background.

Formed in Belgium in 2020, the band describes its style as melodic death metal. After listening to this EP, though, I got the impression that what they really want to play is metalcore, using melodic death metal elements here and there to make their sound a bit more memorable.

The band's original name was Northwind before they adopted the name they use today. The five-piece lineup consists of:

Tine Vanmuysen – vocals

Wim Melis and Michiel Debie – guitars

Gert Cools – bass

Jasper Vreys – drums

Prior to this EP, the band had already released one previous EP and one full-length album. Together, these releases form a conceptual trilogy centered on the apocalypse, collapse, and the fragmentation of the human mind.

The "Before The Fall" EP marks the beginning of the story, portraying the eerie darkness just before everything falls apart and the approaching footsteps of impending catastrophe.

"Tribulations" places the listener right in the middle of the apocalypse.

The "Revelations" EP, which I'm reviewing here, shows the ruins left behind in the aftermath.

To expand a little on the concept explored in this EP, it aims to portray the feeling of being lost in the present through the eyes of someone who survived the apocalypse.

The songs are mostly driven by harsh vocals, but you'll also hear clean vocal passages reminiscent of Theatre of Tragedy, Epica, and Nightwish. I went in expecting a straightforward melodic death metal band, but instead found a sound that borrows a little from everything. The guitar riffs lean mostly toward metalcore, while the melodies and solos occasionally carry melodic death metal influences.

As soon as "İskariot" kicked in and I heard the vocals, I immediately thought, "Could that be Angela Gossow?" I checked right away—it wasn't. But without the internet, I probably would've kept listening for quite a while believing it was her. The track also features Belgian scene veteran Tijs Vanneste as a guest vocalist.

"The Rupture" relies more heavily on metalcore riffs, with the clean vocals taking on a more prominent role. Unlike the opening track, it unfolds without a guitar solo.

"Generation Curses" came across as a fairly ordinary track to me.

With its melodic approach and guitar tone, "Mathematical Design" reminded me of old-school doom/death bands, although the riffs still lean more toward metalcore. On my second listen, I caught myself thinking, "This is basically a Carcass clone." It's almost like the answer to the question of what Carcass would sound like if they ever decided to play metalcore.

The closing track, "System in the Dark," is another fairly standard song built around a doom atmosphere.

Overall, maybe it's simply because this is an EP, but the release left me feeling like it lacked a strong sense of cohesion. If you're into melodic death metal with a healthy dose of metalcore and enjoy hearing other influences woven into the mix, there's a good chance you'll enjoy both this EP and the band.

TAHİR

Facebook
VI.BE
Instagram
Bandcamp
YouTube
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon
Tidal
Deezer
Metal-Archives