IV: Stigmata

I'd always been meaning to get around to listening to Arrayan Path, and after receiving several recommendations for their latest opus IV: Stigmata, I felt it was high time I gave these guys a listen. I'm glad I did, as Arrayan Path serve up a suitably impressive slab of power metal here on their fourth full-length.

I've heard a lot of releases this year that I've felt were disappointing or middling, particularly in my beloved power metal genre, so it's great to get my hands on something I genuinely think is cracking. IV: Stigmata is a really strong release, with masterful performances and an ace approach to the genre. This takes me back to the likes of Tad Morose or Angel Dust, with that sort of serious, mid-paced approach, packed to the brim with killer riffs; I guess it isn't too far away from the likes of Dionysus, The Storyteller, or even Fourth Legacy-period Kamelot, although IV: Stigmata certainly comes off a little darker.

The songwriting across IV: Stigmata is first-class, with some seriously good vocal lines. Even after my first listen I was humming "Judas Iscariot" whilst shopping. Of course singer Nicholas Leptos gives these vocal lines the performance they deserve; he's a seriously skilled singer with an excellent tone, a deft range and a knack for delivering in the power department. Whilst I think Nicholas definitely stands the strongest across the album, the rest of the band bring a lot to the table in terms of musicianship. The guitar riffs provide a lot of substance, with a decided muscular edge to it – definitely the type to get the blood pumping. Keyboards are utilized well, highlighting certain aspects of the songs, be it mirroring a vocal line, adorning a riff or providing a dramatic backdrop; certainly never intrusive. The rhythm section is without doubt worthy of note too; the drum performance does a lot to help in the way of variation and doesn't crutch on any particular technique or beat too much, the bass has a good tone and approach, whether it's anchoring a riff or following the drum battery.

When everything comes together it's a recipe for magic which you can hear displayed in the likes of the killing opener "Clepsydra", the infectious "Cursed Canaan" with its majestic chorus, and the moody "Disguising Your Soul" boasting some seriously cool vocal lines. Really though, all the material contained here is absolutely spot on, and I'm certainly hard pressed to pick out any faults throughout.

Arrayan path have really served up a treat here with IV: Stigmata, I definitely regret not checking these guys out sooner. As far as I'm concerned, this is definitely among the finer power metal releases this year, and I think any fan of the genre would be remiss not to check this one out. As I've stressed throughout the songwriting is really well accomplished across the album, and the darker, heavier approach should open up appeal to some of those outside of the style. All in all a cracking full-length which shows there's still plenty of life left in the power metal genre.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

As much as I love power metal, it’s not often I find a new release by an unknown band that slays this hard. Arrayan Path is a Cyprusian band who have four albums, this being the latest, and it rules. It’s hard to really nail down what bands to compare this to, because Arrayan Path have such a simple and effective formula – just write great tunes. They can do fast and catchy, they can do epic, they can do slow and majestic. It doesn’t matter. You will hear shades of Helloween, HammerFall, Tad Morose, Nocturnal Rites and others here, but really no dominant influence – they just took the bits of the genre they liked and pulled them together into a cohesive sound.

Vocalist Nicholas Leptos is a real talent, as he belts out hooky melodies in a crystal clear power metal voice like he was born to do it. He has a classic early-2000s power metal style timbre, with a generally high singing voice but some real grit and muscle to it all the same. The melodies he sings are usually catchy, but what surprised me was how involved most of them were. There is a real Urban breed-level complexity and care to the melodies here, with real work put into them – there is nothing here that feels half-assed. “Midnight and the First-Born Massacre” has a huge chorus with a ton of changes in dynamic, but the band pulls it off like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Harbingers of Death” has some gruff Tad Morose-esque verses that explodes into a traditional soaring chorus; very well done. Even on initially accessible songs like the killer “Clepsydra” and the single-material “The Bible Bleeds,” with their more poppy melodies, the band doesn’t take the easy route and rely on the poppiness to carry the songs. Instead they use it as a base to build well-written, heavy and engaging metal songs on top of, like a good band should. While there isn’t anything “prog” about these, they are incredibly tight and well written, and the level of work put into them is admirable.

I don’t just mean the vocals either; the guitars are well done with slick, heavy rhythms and melodies, and the rhythm section keeps up with aplomb and theatricality. Each song has its own insular themes and motifs, and they are well crafted examples of the genre. From the dark, almost Satanic “Stigmata” to the jovial folk-isms of “Pharaoh’s Wish” and the wandering Middle Eastern “Disguising Your Soul,” each one of these tunes tells a story and also kicks your ass. Arrayan Path works as a band because they actually care about what they are doing, and put 110% of themselves into the process. Each song is immediately enjoyable, but what initially seems like just a solid example of the genre quickly becomes one of the best examples of it. That kind of growing power is great to hear. I originally just thought this was another pretty good album, but then it surprised me because I could not go a day without hearing it. The melodies worked themselves into my skull like well-set fishing hooks in a wide ocean. And pretty soon I was hooked.

I can’t stress how good it is to have power metal that actually gives a shit. So many bands these days just don’t. Arrayan Path is the real deal, with a set of wonderfully done songs that never take the easy route. They don’t try to reinvent the genre and don’t even really do anything new. However the level of quality here is the finest delicacy you can get in the genre. Anyone who misses classics of the previous decade like A Flame to the Ground Beneath, Defying the Rules or Modus Vivendi will feel at home putting this album on, because it is the same kind of pristine quality. Comparable to a fine wine and an expensive dinner, Arrayan Path really hit the ball out of the park with Stigmata. I look forward to checking out their other albums now.

“IV: Stigmata”, the fourth full length album by Cyprus-based neoclassical power metal act Arrayan Path, is another solid notch in the band’s belt. If nothing else, “IV: Stigmata” is an enjoyable outing that shows Arrayan Path as a more confident and dynamic band than previous works. Rather than the Egyptian and Mediterranean themes of previous albums, the band turns to Abrahamic and Christian mythology, which results in a much darker concept. Combine those themes with the heavier and darker songwriting approach and “IV: Stigmata” is a much more powerful and heavy handed approach to the band’s style.

While “Ira Imperium”, Arrayan Path’s previous release, was a solid album, it ultimately sounded like some form of Malmsteen cloning. Not that the band didn’t have a touch of their own identity, it’s just that “IV: Stigmata” branches away from the tried and done to death waters that most neoclassical acts sink into and shows Arrayan Path stretching their wings a bit. Actually “IV: Stigmata” brings the band closer to a solid power metal sound while still retaining a lot of the neoclassical touches of their previous material. Either way, the production is crystal clear and allows the band to fully capitalize on the dark and brooding atmosphere they create.

First and foremost, the lead guitar lines are incredible, with blazing fast arpeggios and melodic, classically infused scales. Fortunately for everyone, the lead lines stay entertaining while managing to avoid being overly pretentious wank fests. This leads to one of the reasons I say the band is finally striking out on their own: a stronger focus on atmosphere and solid songwriting, rather than an unoriginal backing band hiding in the shadow of a guitarist which seems to happen all too often. There is a much stronger emphasis on galloping rhythms and speedy segues, like the chorus and main riff on “Midnight and the First-Born Massacre”. The band never really breaks into the realms of speed metal but the songs are quick enough to get your heart rate climbing. On the other end of the spectrum, the slower, more plodding songs, such as “Stigmata”, focus more on subtle symphonic elements and slow paced, melodic guitar lines, while the band manages to keep the dark subject matter firmly engrained in their approach. It’s not all doom and gloom, as there are uplifting guitar leads that battle with Mediterranean keyboard lines and a few surprisingly poppy vocal lines scattered throughout.

Vocalist, and band founder, Nicholas Leptos, seems to be a lot more comfortable here. He has an extremely melodic mid-range comparable to the likes of Göran Edman, who previously sang for Malmsteen. Where the vocals truly shine is the melodic intonation and hook laden delivery during the chorus lines. Leptos also belts out some Fabio Lione styled high vocals that keep the same melodic intonation as the mid-range vocals and are a vast improvement over the highs on the band’s previous outings. Every instrument is professionally played and has a strong presence: the bass and drums are both solid as a rock without being overly flashy and the rhythm and lead guitars are exceptional. The song writing is solid, with a nice mix of middling length and shorter songs. The shorter songs tend to be faster, barn burner style and the mid-length songs tend to go for a mid-pace epic approach.

The darker subject matter and more brooding atmosphere help set this apart from other power metal acts, but the simple fact is that this is still a power metal album. There are those that won’t dig the soaring guitars, keyboard-ridden atmosphere and high register vocals, but I love it. If you dig Malmsteen and bands like Iron Mask you will dig this. If you like anything else released by Arrayan Path you will dig this. “IV: Stigmata” is the best Arrayan Path release to date: darker, far reaching in scope and excellent in execution.

Written for The Metal Observer:
http://www.metal-observer.com/