The Pitch: Philly melodeath band releases new EP featuring guest solos from Ryan Knight (ex-The Black Dahlia Murder) and Michael Keene (The Faceless) and Michaela Nachtigall on violin.
What I Like: Fun riffs, nice balance of thrashy speed and melody. Some of the guitar hooks have a The Haunted vibe going on. The vocals maintain a nice range between both high and low screams as well as some well-implemented cleans. The way in which Parius seemlessly navigates between all of these styles, along with the integration of the strings, is well exemplified on the very first track. Then you of course have the fantastic guest solos and a bass guitar with a truly delectable rumble. Even the short piano interlude, "A Somber Dream," is gorgeous.
What I Don't Like: I'm a broken record saying this in most reviews, but it's a common issue that I feel seperates the greats from the true classics: this is common ground even if it is common ground done right.
The Verdict: Think TBDM or The Hudson Horror with strings and scattered clean vocals. This fun but brief EP is surely a tease of even greater things to come. If you want more, check out their bandcamp page for previous full-length releases.
Flight's Fav's: Let There Be Light, A Shade Darker Than Black