Præy

Probably it is because I have not followed this sub-genre as closely as other the past few years, but I have the feeling that the hype around melodic death metal has waned a bit. I always had kind of a feeling that this specific variation of extreme metal has a bit of a difficult stand. Looking on my personal listening habits I prefer a more direct and classic style with less melodic elements when it comes to death metal. For fast blast combined with atmospheric guitar harmonies I mainly check out the black metal section of my collection, and whenever I am searching big melodies and choruses I might end up with a power/prog album. It does not really help that a lot of stuff which is sold as melodic death metal sounds too modern or overblown to my ears. However, when put into the right hands of musicians having set their heart at looking at the glory days of the genre without the intention of producing a 100 % copy of the past, you still can get some highly enjoyable music out of it.

My absolute highlight of this genre of 2020 has come in form of the new album by Nyktophobia, something that did not really come as surprise given the quality of their prior work. What DID surprise me though was stumbling upon another German act of which I have never heard of before, releasing one of the finest debuts of the year. Empyreal Sorrow are hailing from Munich, and while “Praey” does not in any way reinvent the wheel it comes across as a very fresh and energetic take on the well-known formula. If you are looking for a nice little dose of pretty traditional stuff in the vein of the famous Gothenburg school you cannot go wrong here.

The music is dynamic, vibrant, and almost reverent, using the melodic aspect of death metal to full effect. It feels like Empyreal Sorrow are sticking to the blueprint of melo-death as we know it, and they play it with such skill that it’s almost irresistible. Melodic death metal stands and falls with the quality of the tracks, and thankfully these guys are really competent songwriters. Each song has addicting main chords that are accompanied by outstanding lead work. The lead guitars are always present in the background, often changing the mood withing one single song with the respective parts creating an uplifting, but sometimes also slightly melancholic atmosphere. In some moments the blasting attacks, the captivating guitar harmonies and the snarling vocals hint at and channel subtle black metal influences as well, adding another layer to the music.

The production is pretty modern and very professional. The guitar riffs sound crunchy and huge, the drums pack a nice punch and all the melodic elements can be perfectly heard within the mix. The songs are all around 4 minutes of length, which seems just about perfect for straight forward music like this. Some of the tracks have some groovier and slower parts, giving the whole album a nice flow. There are some really catchy chorus parts that are easy on the ear and will make you tapping your feet to the beat. Overall “Praey” is a surprisingly mature album from such a new band and welcome breathe of fresh air in an otherwise often stale genre. Well done!