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WHYZDOM
www.whyzdom.com
Symphonic metal, loved by so many and hated by even more. Saying this takes us to the fact that, nowadays, a big gust is needed to follow with a project in this sub-genre. Whyzdom clearly fall in this description - around for enough time to be known by name but not enough out there to be a “must-listen”. In all its fairness, I don’t think it’s their fault. Nowadays, the crowds seem to be more inclined to a more extreme and versatile sound. ‘Symphony For a Hopeless God’ might be a good attempt to make the recently converted to the extreme sounds stop for a moment and consider that there are still a few good full symphonic metal songs. This album from the French collective, it’s balanced; not risky in any way yet not dull, which is quite refreshing on a symphonic metal release. Starting with a “power-witchy” song, ‘While The Witches Burn’ and traveling in that direction again on ‘Let’s Play With Fire’, we have a sound that makes me go back to the long forgotten ‘Mana’, released in 2004 by Nemesea.

With their new front-woman, we are able to experience an interesting vocal versatility; nothing overwhelming or boarding the androgyny, but used accordingly and in well balanced doses. Raspy when needed, even a few growls now and then, it’s refreshing. The same is applied on the drums and guitars; they are heavy, simple but effective, with some doses of progressive playing: Epica style. This album is filled with guitar goodness, it’s definitely recommended to the symphonic metal/progressive-ish type of riff lovers. Even the acoustic bits remind me of the extremely famous band from the Netherlands – ‘The Mask’ nearly sounds the same as ‘This is the Time’, composed by the Dutch sextet. Middle Eastern sounds couldn’t obviously be dodged on a record of this sub-genre – ‘Don’t Try to Blind Me’ and ‘Asylum of Eden’ both have the undertone, yet both are saved by heavy riffs and some growly vocals. And the latter has quite impressive choir arrangements and instrumental parts in the composition.

The production of ‘Symphony For a Hopeless God’ can’t be ignored - where it sometimes shines, it also falls short elsewhere. ‘Waking Up the Titans’ shines with a blasting epic beginning, follows with a decent bridge and, again, as present in the rest of the album, everything seems to be all over the place when the guitars join the orchestration. There is a desperate need to tweak here and there and bring this band to a more professional way of sounding. The intent is there, so is the talent, it only lacks the balance to put everything on the same level, to prioritise the sound and feeling they want to pass through. Weirdly, after the seventh song on the album, all the problems mentioned above seem to have been fixed, being to what it seems the most balanced trio of songs on the album, with interesting breaks, unexpected vocals, mesmerizing choirs and well-structured songs - you have ‘Theory Of Life’, ‘Where Are The Angels’ and ‘Pandora’s Tears’. It’s definitely an album to try out and also to be patient about - it has potential, it just has to be driven to a more mature presentation and you never know how fine the wine will turn out to be!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Scarlet Records
Album
SYMPHONY FOR A HOPELESS GOD
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Review by Salomé Sequeira
RUNNING TIME:
66:18
RELEASE DATE:
17th Feb 2015
TRACK LISTING
1) While The Witches Burn
2) Tears Of A Hopeless God
3) Let's Play With Fire
4) Eve's Last Daughter
5) Don't Try To Blind Me
6) The Mask
7) Asylum Of Eden
8) Waking Up The Titans
9) Theory Of Life
10) Where Are The Angels
11) Pandora's Tears
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
France
"This album is filled with guitar goodness, it’s definitely recommended to the symphonic metal/progressive-ish type of riff lovers."
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