Blacken the Sun

Most of us may know of fantastic albums that combine metal genres, such as blackened death, blackened thrash, death+doom, etc. Quite rare is the band that combines aspects of death, doom, black, thrash, melodeath, neoclassical heavy metal and NWOBHM on a single album. The danger when merging so many influences into one work is that it could sound disjointed and asymmetrical, leaping and bounding to and fro, resulting in an incoherent mess. However, Elyrean has assembled an impressively cohesive yet completely diverse work that is absolutely worthy of any metal fan's ear (and coin, for that matter).

Bottom Line - Elyrean's Blacken the Sun EP (EP my ass, it's 40 minutes long!) is a remarkable genre-bending 7-chapter Greek mythological horror story that blends elements of atmospheric black metal, technical thrash, progressive melodeath, NWOBHM, and neoclassical power metal. It is an incredibly mature release that is bounding with energy, aggression and intensity.

Breakneck thrash-influenced riffs? Check.
Neoclassical guitar with atmospheric/symphonic string and woodwind? Check.
Blackened shrieks, death metal snarls, and thrash howls? Check.
Melody, technical artistry, obviously tight and talented musicianship? Check, check, and check.

The album opens by crafting a haunting tone and epic atmosphere replete with chiming bells, ravens, light rainfall, a wolf howling in the distance, and a multi-string section. Take a look at the cover art and consider how it might sound? You'll find out soon enough, as track one paints the cover art flawlessly against the aural backdrop of an impending thunderstorm.

This dark, eerie tone flows straight into old-school Bay Area-esque riffage, rumbling bass lines, death-thrash screams, and strings w/dual harmony guitar leads. The 7-minute opus fades slowly as the faint rainfall returns, building with an atmospheric string crescendo to more thrashing riffage that follows.

This is a recurring musical theme throughout the release: a beautiful somber interlude - perhaps as a full song (The Smouldering of Ashes) or an interlude within a song. An uptempo time change. Brutal thrash riffage. Soaring guitar work that alternates between heavy chugging and neoclassical/power metal guitar harmonies. A drum march, perhaps a bit of doom/dirge. An atmospheric fade out. Next song loads and the attack reinitiates.

As mentioned, the influences are varied and blend seamlessly to add depth to the character of the experience, without coming across as "worthless wankery" or "noodling" or whatever phrase you use to describe music that is complex yet lacking in soul. I suppose if I HAD to classify the album, I would call it thrash metal; the musical context of the album points to the dominant guitar riffs which are both fresh and interesting while demonstrating obvious appreciation for old-school Bay Area thrash (despite living across the country and on the other side of the Atlantic pond).

Lyrically, the influences mentioned on Elyrean's bandcamp page include Lovecraft and Greek mythology, and this shines throughout the album.
"My sanity splits at the seams, hollow shell of perfected beauty, so close yet out of reach."
"Tear down the skies, as flames ignite.
Eclipse the light, casting my shadow, I’ll blacken the sun."

Standouts include Distorted Reality, the most distinctly "classic thrash" song on the album (with some of the best apocalyptic lyrics), as well as the title track and Fallen Ground. That said, there isn't a single weak moment on this album.
Every album, of course, MUST have a weakness. I'm sure as I continue to listen, I'll eventually figure out what it is.

Elyrean have set the bar high with their first release, I look forward to "wearing this one out" while eagerly awaiting their follow-up.