Ea Taesse

Ea's world is mysterious, but in my opinion this only works for the music, 'cause you will not stay too much concentrated on band members, stories or somewhat, but you'll listen only to the music. That's the strong point of Ea, the music itself. Lyrics are not so important: they're completely impossible to understand, even with a careful listening, and they only have an harmonic role because only the 10% of this album is sung (and 99% of that is a deep, demonic and almost-spoken growl).

But what about the music? I was forgetting to speak about the most important thing. Let me repair to this mistake. Ea propose to us an outstanding mixture of Funeral Doom Metal and sacral music, ensured by the use of organium and keyboards which create a sacred atmosphere, rather than melancholic. Funeral Doom is known to be sad and hopeless, but this isn't the feeling of this music. I heard many times the comparison between Ea and Comatose Vigil, but i don't agree so much. Comatose Vigil were much more static and haunting. Ea is more melodic and the compositions (not songs, they're just too long) are more developing and, if i can say, "easy - listening". Rhythms are not always the same, they tend to change and sometimes even become quick, like in the ending of the spectacular instrumental song "Mea Ta Souluola" (don't mind the titles, this is a dead language, or at least it should be).

The enormous, huge riffs of guitar, which are prolonged and reverberated as long as possible, are really crushing. But not heart-breaking melodic as it could be, for example, in a band like Mournful Congregation. The riffs simply lead you to a sensation of oppression, but constantly sweetened by choir pads and piano solos, which play a big role in melody here, instead than guitars. And what about the drumming? It's simply outstanding. I don't know if these guys (or this guy, it could be, we don't even know how much they are) use a drum machine, but surely if they don't use i would give a clap to the drummer. His style reminds me a bit the Evoken's one, very various and complicated, never monotonous. Try to follow the drum patterns, you will have some problems. This is not something easy to find in a Funeral Doom Metal band.

In synthesis, i would describe Ea Taesse as the first masterpiece of a band who was able to publish only masterpieces in his brief career, which I hope is not finished. The general feeling is of a music that overwhelms under tons of gigantic riffs and epic harmonies, without being too derivative or "already - listened - to". No, this is totally the opposite. Ea were able to put a big dosis of originality in the music they play, remembering us that Funeral Doom Metal, despite of his name, is not dead and caged in cliches.

Strictly recommended.