Style: Extreme/Technical Thrash Metal (harsh vocals)
Review by: Evan
Country: Sweden
Release date: February 26th, 2021
When I first searched up this band on Spotify they had fewer than 4000 listeners. Now less than two weeks later, they are at almost 10,000 (thankfully not quite, as that would put them over our review cap!). Therefore, I feel that I am a little late to the party. Nevertheless, Empyrean warrants a review.
This is a thrash metal album. Half the readers left after hearing that probably, given the genre’s modern state. However, if there is one thrash band in this decade that has received acclaim it is Vektor, and Paranorm sounds a hell of a lot like Vektor. Thankfully they are able to avoid just sounding like a clone. For one, Paranorm incorporates quite a bit more melody into their guitar playing, and overall the music is less aggressive. This is relative of course, as Paranorm is still an extreme thrash band. There is also a substantial modern tech death influence, clearly heard in the production, some of the guitar work, and most notably the vocals.
So why has this album received rather positive reviews and rapidly increased the following of the band? Well for one the lead guitar work on this album demonstrates not only an impressive virtuosity, but also a capacity for solid thrash riffs. Interesting guitar harmonies and impressive solos fill the album as well. Moreover, The general song-writing principles of the band are quite well-fleshed out. The first track of the album, “Critical Mass” is pure thrash aggression, while the longer third track, “Edge of the Horizon,” features a long build before exploding into a similar frenzy, demonstrating a propensity for both thrashing hard and longer form songwriting. The occasional but not too rare use of dynamics helps keep the album engaging throughout.
So is this album a modern thrash classic? Probably not, for a few reasons. While the lead guitar work is impressive, it is often excessive, and there are no memorable rhythm, bass, or drum parts or interplays throughout the album, which is mostly lead guitar spectacle. The vocals similarly can get a bit monotonous as they have the exact same delivery in every segment of the album. Ultimately, the album is purely based on the lead guitar work, which everything else just seems to serve to back up. Coupled with the extremely clean production, the album puts far more emphasis on impressing the listener with guitar work than it does on building atmosphere or emotion.
Despite this criticism, Paranorm are clearly a group of talented musicians, and Empyrean is a strong, enjoyable album, certainly worth checking out. And perhaps, if many critics are praising it, and many prog fans are rushing to listen to it, it could be even better than I am giving it credit for.
Recommended tracks: Critical Mass, Edge of the Horizon, Desolate Worlds (Distant Dimensions)
Recommended for fans of: Vektor, Obscura, Coroner
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Redefining Darkness Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Paranorm is:
– Markus Hiltunen (vocals/rhythm guitars)
– Fredrik Kjellgren (lead guitars)
– Samuel Karlstrand (drums)
– Marcus Blom (bass)
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