Kyrie Eleison - In the arms of decadence 4/5
Reviewed: 3-14-08
Tracklist:
1. Dei donum
2. Facing the rage
3. Children of pain
4. Stillness
5. River of tears
6. Inner
7. A searcher's symphony
8. Darkness & light (Vivace)
9. Since you are not here
10. Liars
11. Inspiration
12. The show must go on
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Kyrie Eleison is a new symphonic power metal band that's surprisingly from Argentina, as I would have guessed they were from Italy or somewhere in Scandinavia. The style of their full-length debut, 'In the arms of decadence', is very much in line with Rhapsody of Fire, Divinefire, Masterpiece, Thy Majestie, Bride Adorned, Holy Knights, Derdian, Six Magics and Irencros. Have I got your attention? Good.
One of the aspects of this debut that has stood out the most is the crystal clear and extremely powerful production. Really, the sound of the CD is tremendous and it's full of outstanding keyboard play, an epic atmosphere, flashy guitar work (neo-classical style at times), and plenty of speed. If you're a fan of the previously mentioned bands, you know what I'm talking about, and rest assured that 'In the arms of decadence' is a very competitive symphonic power metal CD. There are also some nice classical violin and/or piano parts, and although there's only a few of these moments, they definitely add something special to the CD.
Vocally, Alejandro Fernandez kind-of reminds me of a typical Italian power metal vocalist, but he's not as high-pitched. I don't consider him spectacular, but he's solid and certainly capable of conveying a vocal melody. In addition, there are some small choir parts, definitely dominated by female vocalists, yet they remain in the background for the most part, leaving Alejandro to run the show. I will admit however, that the musical side of the CD is a bit stronger than the vocal side.
My favorite songs are track 3 "Children of pain", track 7 "A searcher's symphony" and track 10 "Liars", as they contain a lot of speed, killer guitar work, and feature both keyboard and guitar solos. I also like the fantastic (but short) instrumental "Darkness & light" and the following track 9 "Since you are not here", which is a wonderful ballad with atmospheric keys, female vocals and a terrific guitar solo. To close the CD, we get yet another cover of Queen's "The show must go on", following the footsteps of Irencros, Metalium, Heavenblast and surely others. This is an absolutely magnificent version though, with amazing orchestration, sweet guitar work, vocalist Alejandro at his best, and it's probably better than the versions from Irencros, Metalium and Heavenblast. In fact, it just might be the best song on the CD!
My only minor complaint is that I wish 'In the arms of decadence' was a bit more memorable, as the choruses don't really leave a lasting impression. This falls in line with the vocal department being a slight step down (in quality) compared to the powerful music. I'm confident this is something that will improve with the band's 2nd CD however, and like I said, this is just a "minor" complaint. So we end up with an awesome symphonic power metal debut that fans of the style should definitely check out.
CLINT
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