Style: Symphonic-ish Metal (clean vocals)
Review by: Matt
Country: USA (South Carolina)
Release date: 09-08-2020
It’s a new album from Everthrone! Eh? They’ve broken up? Now the whole review is depressing…
This album was presented to me as symphonic metal, which drastically skewed my first impression of it. While symphonic elements are present, they’re so basic that they usually amount to one string patch or a one-handed piano line. The guitars are pretty minimalistic and groove-based when they riff at all, and the rhythm section sticks to straightforward, driving rock beats. On the complexity level, Everthrone would land among Z-grade symphonic metal bands like Battlelore, but that’s not what they’re all about.
Things suddenly made a lot of sense when I read that the band likes 80s darkwave and synthpop, specifically listing Tears for Fears as an influence. As a pop/symphonic metal hybrid, this actually works pretty well – Think Nightwish, if all their songs were “Nemo.” These guys can write a mean chorus, and vocalist Russell Plyler carries the day with a larger-than-life baritone that instantly makes anything sound epic. Whatever happens with this band, I hope to hear more of him somewhere in the future. While the keyboard arrangements are simple, they have a knack for coming up with those catchy “bell patch” melodies that served Finnish bands for 20 years. The songs are chorus-centric to a fault, but they do have a certain maturity and class that keeps them from being too low-brow.
Everthrone have managed to recreate the epic melancholy of Nightwish or Kamelot here with about 10% of the notes, and if you like that sort of thing, you won’t hate this. It is lacking depth, though, and were they to keep making albums, I’d like them to really lean into one side of their influences or the other. Currently, it comes off as watered-down symphonic metal, rather than playing up any potential benefits of poppiness. It’s not a total loss, with good choruses and some moments of glory, but you may find yourself missing the more epic compositions of similar bands.
Recommended tracks: Shifting Skins, Falling Over the Edge of Reason (part 2)
Recommended for fans of: Kamelot, Articulus (their debut is basically this album with way more nuance.)
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook
Label: Tribunal Records – Website | Bandcamp | Facebook
Everthrone is:
Russell Plyler – Vocals
Nevin McKeown – Guitar
Jeremy McKeown – Drums
Chris Carland – Keys
Daniel Carner – Bass
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