Hot damn! Let's hear it for Words of Farewell's debut, Immersion. Following a couple of smaller releases over the last few years, the German prog death metal band has crafted an amazing sounding album full of everything you'd expect from one of my favorite new metal subgenres.
In the vein of classic In Flames or Scar Symmetry, you get the melodies and growly vocals of melodeath but with a progressive twist that makes for interesting music you can enjoy risking whiplash to. While the former may have played a huge part in creating melodic death metal, In Flames sadly strayed away from their innovative formula of heavy rhythms, melodic choruses and - most importantly - technically amazing guitar solos. And while technical death metal gets closer to that formula than most metal outfuits, that subgenre tends to favor dispassionate technicality in lieu of melody. Like Gandalf said, "It is in progressive death metal that we must place our hope."
At least I'm sure that's what he meant.
The Bottom Line: Picking up where melodeath left off, Words of Farewell perfects and improves the formula with a progressive edge that is just what the subgenre needed. One of the best debut CDs I've heard in some time. I can't wait to hear more.
Tracks to Make Your Nickelback T-shirt Wearing Roommate Do a Spit Take: Project: Daybreak, Ever After & Sundown Seranade
- Genghis cannot wait to enjoy some good beer tonight...