No artist credited
Style: Metalcore, Groove Metal, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Gojira, Fit for an Autopsy, Machine Head
Country: France
Release date: 7 March 2025
“Bro, what if we like, wrote a progressive metal album about like, space and science and shit? And like, what if we called it like, Andromeda?”
“Broooooo…”
Conversations like this one are how I like to imagine the conceit behind Andromeda was brought forth unto this meager plane of existence. A group of friends smoking pot in some nondescript basement, listening to the classics and daydreaming of adding to the legacy of the music they are so enamored with. Enter French progressive metallers March of Scylla, who play a moderately paced form of quasi-progressive metalcore with plenty of groove metal thrown in. I say quasi-progressive because while there are certainly hints and shades of stylistic choices that are reminiscent of progressive metal, I would be hard pressed to claim this record for the genre proper. Most of the music on Andromeda consists of chugs, gallops, and other metalcore platitudes accompanied by a somewhat pitchy mixed vocal performance, but there is a spark of potential to be read in between the lines.
Album opener “Ulysses’ Lies” starts with a relatively engaging chug riff that reminds me of something Fit for an Autopsy would do, but the track quickly devolves into a verse full of questionable harmonies that culminates in a merely passable chorus. The intro riff repeats again and again now acting as a bridge, and the songwriting just goes in circles for five minutes until the song is over. The experience is very formulaic, and the end result is that Andromeda’s first impression is that of a neutered version of various influences attempting to be more than the sum of their parts. For the forty five-plus minutes that follow, this same feeling of middling half-effort persists to mind-numbing effect. From the Fit for an Autopsy-esque riffs mentioned earlier to chorus melodies that sound like demo versions of No Consequence songs; the dreary post metal atmosphere reminiscent of Hypno5e; and even a healthy dose of groove metal influence taken from Gojira. All of these influences sound good together on paper, but leave something to be desired when put into practice on Andromeda.
Not helping the feeling of tediousness is the production job. A disproportionate amount of attention is given to making the rhythm guitars “heavy” or “beefy” that just ends up drowning out other intricacies of the instrumentation. Similarly, the drums are VERY LOUD and the cymbals in particular are distractingly quantized at points (“Death Experience”). Entire orchestral scores that could have added depth and texture to the soundscape go by completely unnoticed unless you strain your ear to hear them. The only attempt at dynamics is on “To Cassiopeia”: an interlude track that could have been left out altogether without affecting the pacing of the album at all.
Hope is not completely lost for March of Scylla, however; interesting songwriting moments do pop their head up here and there, but I’ve noticed that they are mostly during the interstitial parts of songs. Smart use of leading tones and engaging harmonics during transitions make my ears perk up; but that the main grooves and choruses often don’t often live up to the hype is a shame. The choruses are the lesser offender, though, I enjoy the vocalist’s timbre and—while the pitch can be shaky—his performance is a generally positive aspect of the experience for me. The second half of Andromeda picks up the pace a bit as well with marginally faster song tempos and even some sporadic blast beats thrown in for good measure. Despite all of these silver linings, Andromeda still overstays its welcome with a bloated run time of over fifty minutes.
Regardless of all of the criticisms I have levied here, some underlying potential still lurks underneath the surface of Andromeda. The songwriting is gestural and over-reliant on hackneyed “progressive” metalcore tropes, but a prospective throughline that could be teased out and forged into a unique sound is there. A substantial amount of work would be required, but March of Scylla do have a chance to transcend their influences and justify the over-explored sounds of Andromeda on future releases. Just stay away from Nibiru please.
Recommended tracks: Ulysses’ Lies, Storm Dancer, Achilles’ Choice
You may also like: No Consequence, Hypno5e, Grorr
Final verdict: 4/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Klonosphere Records – Facebook | Official Website
March of Scylla is:
– Christofer Fraisier (guitars)
– Gilles Masson (drums)
– Robert Desbiendras (bass)
– Florian Vasseur (vocals)
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