Where a lot of modern melodic death metal has gone towards pop sensibilities and commercialized elements, there’s still a lot of appeal when bands can capture that earlier sound where the melodies were woven in amongst heavier bases and thrash-leaning tempos. This is the case with Turkish melodeath band Cidesphere, who were around in the early 2000s when some of the bigger names in the genre were transitioning towards the rock and mainstream side of the spectrum but channeled that same classic foundation. Like me, you may have missed out on the group’s debut full length Interment… back in 2002, but considering they would break up only a few years later the lack of widespread distribution perhaps isn’t that surprising. Nearly eighteen years later, the core lineup has gotten back together and released a follow-up titled Dawn of a New Epoch which showcases that classic Gothenburg sound along with some slight hints of black metal. The sound is familiar, but the songwriting captures some of the best elements from this genre and showcase Cidesphere as a band that is reaching even greater heights with their resurrection.
Listening to Dawn of a New Epoch, it’s clear that the members of this group have spent a good deal of time with many of the classics of the genre and understand what makes them so appealing. While the foundations of some of the tracks run very close to some of these influences, one can’t hear that familiar thrash leaning tempo and aggressive yet slightly melodic riffing on songs like “Plague of Greed” without wanting to break out into an impromptu mosh. Right off the bat Cidesphere reminds me of At the Gates and early In Flames, with a healthy dose of Hypocrisy and even a little bit of The Haunted for good measure, but what works to their advantage is they are able to shake things up from each track to the next. Rather than sticking with a fast and furious tempo for an entire album, the instrumentals settle down into some slower atmospheric moments and even some mid-tempo grooves that keep the material feeling more versatile. There are also a few tracks where the tonality gives off some brief black metal vibes, with “Sadist” in particular reminding me of some of the early to mid-2000s era blackened death metal. All these elements are bolstered by strong production values that have just the right balance of heaviness and melody, and often make the material sound like it could have been ripped right out of melodic death metal’s fertile period in the mid to late 90s. Admittedly even with the varying approach some moments do blend together slightly and Cidesphere could branch out even further by weaving in some of the blackened elements into more of their songs, but they’ve done the core melodeath sound justice and have more substance than other bands that lean purely on nostalgia.
Vocalist Oral Akyol is able to deliver a nice mix of high screams and low growls throughout the course of the album, keeping the intensity at a high no matter where the rest of the band chooses to go. You’ll hear this right from the get-go, as opening track “Reborn Into Extinction” moves seamlessly between these guttural lows and ear piercing highs with ease, and there’s a jaggedness to the performance that makes the album feel even rawer and in your face. For some the shrieks might prove to a bit of an acquired taste, but they remind me of a number of earlier melodic death metal bands and suit what Cidesphere is channeling in its instrumentation. In addition to the harsher pitches, “Death Is Only Ours” incorporates some singing on the choruses that switches things up even further and makes that song stand out a bit more on repeat listens. It’s clear that Cidesphere is able to shake up the vocal performance more than the norm, and they’re all the better for it.
Melodic death metal tends to be one of those genres where I find myself returning to the classics rather than listening to a ton of new releases, but Cidesphere’s comeback album is worth adding to your rotation. Their aggressive approach is reminiscent of the earlier days of the genre where there was just as much emphasis on faster thrash and some groove alongside the melodic choruses, and with some hints of blackened death metal added into the mix there’s a lot to like about this one. While there are a few tracks that fall into a familiar formula and the band has left themselves room to experiment even further, they’ve delivered a catchy and brutal album that is sure to hit the spot for fans of the style. Let’s hope this reunion lasts, as I suspect we’ll hear even more great things in the coming years. Dawn of a New Epoch is available from Testimony Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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