Introspection

At last…. I have finally done it ! I have finally managed to come up with something to say about this new album that was released about 3 months ago. I have been listening to this record for quite a while now, and I have tried several times to review it, but I have somehow never managed to come up with something to say. There's in fact a lot to say about this one, but at the same time so little. The guys behind this band are probably from outer space. They must come from somewhere else. With their second album, Introspection, they take us on an amazing journey, a kind of musical odyssey. One might even compare Myriads' music with a roller coaster ride. You might find this comparison a bit funny, but when you get on a roller coaster, you are jostled by the ride. With Myriads, it's the music that jostles you. Their music is rich and full of different emotional textures. One can really feel the passion they have for their music. They do not just take one riff and play it forever, but on the contraty come up with very complex song structures. In some of their songs, another band could find material for 3 or 4 different songs. In fact, their songs are so developed that one cannot just listen to it once and come up and say I do / do not like it. Myriads' music is still linked with the gothic metal scene, but their influences must be way beyond the standard metal influences and it would be hard to categorize them using only one musical trend. Their music defies categorizing. The group describes it as a fusion between metal and classical sounds, containing elements of folk and industrial. Their songs clock in between 6 and 15 minutes but always manage to remain interesting. Of course the band uses all different aspects of a standard black, gothic metal band such as clean and raw male vocals, angelic female vocals in an avant-garde way, male choirs, keyboards, acoustic guitars and a string-sextet. This is very emotional music coming straight from the heart of its conceptors. The material on Introspection is more varied than on In Spheres Without Time. The members of Myriads have all progressively developed as musicians and the music is somewhat more technical now than it was earlier. Some songs are faster and heavier than the songs on In Spheres Without Time. In contrast, Inside consists of Mona's and Alexander's vocals together with a piano, a male choir, a string-sextet and an acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar is more frequently used on Introspection than it was on In Spheres Without Time. Falling In The Equinox is a totally acoustic song featuring Mona's and Alexander's vocals again. There are also some industrial parts on Enigmatic Colours Of The Night and Miserere Mei. The band did not record at Sound Suite Studios in France with Terje Refsness, but instead went up to Tico Tico Studio in Finland. The sound is perfect and they don't sound too much like most of their fellow compatriots. This album is recommended to those who are open minded. I encourage everyone else though to put an ear on this release, but they will have to take plenty of time because of the length of this record and because several listens are required to fully understand their music.