Anyone who follows my writings knows that I’m an avid fan and supporter of French metal, so when I got approached by the Eryn Non Dae guys to review their latest album I didn’t hesitate for a second. At the time I was pretty floored by the band’s second album, but sadly it didn’t sell really well, so subsequently the band got dropped by their record label. This time around Eryn Non Dae decided the release their latest offering independently, so let’s see whether “Meliora” will turn some heads.
One would expect that Eryn Non Dae would count their blessings and make their music easier to digest, but no. “Meliora” is just as abrasive and inaccessible as “Hydra Lernaia”, it’s predecessor. Is it such a bad thing? No, because the band decided to follow their gut feeling and hone their craft even further. With good results, because their trademark mixture of Meshuggah, Tool and Isis has really reached its full potential on “Meliora”.
The band really paid a lot of attention to the structure and arrangements of the song material on “Meliora”. This really pays dividends on tracks like “Chrysalis”, “Scarlet Rising” and “Ignitus”, because Eryn Non Dae found the right balance between atmosphere, adventurous arrangements and some solid grooves. Vocalist Mathieu Nogues also stepped up in the vocal department, by adding more variety in his barks and growls. His vitriol-infused vocals add a lot of aggression and venom to “Melioria”.
My two favourite tracks on “Meliora” are “The Great Downfall” and “Black Obsidian Pyre”. These are two longest compositions on the album and they’re full of unexpected twists and turns, sudden changes in atmosphere and other progressive niceties that make jaded music lovers like me drool of sheer delight.
Despite the more refined structures and higher level of musicianship “Meliora” by Eryn Non Dae is still not for the faint hearted. However, if you can appreciate highly adventurous postcore/metal with a firm progressive twist to it, than this album will satisfy your every need. Heartily recommended!
Eryn Non Dae – Official Website
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