ERYN NON DAE

I always have a passion for music that is interesting. That doesn't necessarily mean experimental or progressive - although it does usually turn out to be so - more than it does to ignite my brain by keeping me guessing; not knowing what to expect is naturally thrilling. Now, of course, I have reviewed Eryn Non Dae before and I found them to be quite palatable in a way that many progressive metal acts are. But they didn't quite set my brain on fire. Their debut was confident yet, for the most part, bordering on safe. The sophomore album is a tricky endeavour. At once a foreboding task to build upon the success (hopefully) of your debut, coupled with the liberation of having freedom to explore larger themes that a debut might not allow. 'Meliora' starts with a couple of minutes of ambience that screams of defiance; this is not an album to devour in bite-size portions - to be relegated to background music. From then on it is a whirlwind of ideas, peaks and troughs. There are moments of predictability, mostly the fault of some unimaginative metalcore riffing, but they really are few and far between. The jazz-like drumming propels each song with the breadth of imagination that few metal/mathcore bands have managed to achieve. Although the level of technicality is par for the course with this style of music, it is the song-writing - usually metalcore's weakest aspect - that sets Eryn Non Dae apart from their peers. In fact, only Cult Of Luna can truly claim to compete. Each song is carefully constructed, no doubt, yet it is the aural equivalent of being lectured in particle physics by the Mad Hatter. Ultimately, an hour of this becomes wearing; at least to my ears. Eryn Non Dae should be applauded for not playing it safe with this album, and for creating something of a chaotic masterpiece. They have expanded and improved upon their debut by truly progressing. It will be interesting to watch this band over the course of their career to see where that takes them. For now, though, enjoy the ride.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

M & O Music

Album

MELIORA

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

58:19

RELEASE DATE:

8th Oct 2012

TRACK LISTING

1) Chrysalis
2) The Great Downfall
3) Scarlet Rising
4) Ignitus
5) Muto
6) Black Obsidian Pyre
7) Hidden Lotus

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

France

"Eryn Non Dae should be applauded for not playing it safe with this album, and for creating something of a chaotic masterpiece."