Empyrean Sky's debut 'The Snow White Rose of Paradise' is a tough nut to crack. The band combine various styles and emotions in their music, that while offering much, I am exhausted after every listening session of this album. Maybe it is simply too much. The band call it "stormcore". I haven't got any good label for it.

The band comes from Chicago, USA, so it's kind of a surprise that this is real metal. That is if romanticism can be a part of metal music. However, Empyrean Sky do not belong among those bands I'm willing to drop out of metal category. Performance is metal for a big part, but lyrics aren't: most are about *gasp* *horror* love in various ways. 'Love Poison' looks like it's straight from a dirty magazine while 'Into the Depths' has a certain feel of Dante Alighieri's works, therefore being more mature, and telling a story about a journey to the other side following a deceased loved one. 'Peak of the Fall' is more gothic style about death of love while 'Empyrean Sky' is more fairy-taleish work. So, the lyrics' quality vary a lot.

The band have welded together different styles of metal mainly ranging from power to thrash to heavy metal, with clear Gothenburg influences. Classical music influences play important part, and even some other non-metal music styles have their small parts. But not hardcore, as to what "stormcore" description might hint for. For a big part, the music is full to say the least, and highly melodic. This is not suitable for background music or easy calming listening. Songs are long and not totally seamless compositions, but offering something to bite for many a listening. Two of them are actually instrumentals, but there's an explanation. Playful guitars steal the show and it's no wonder: three 7-string guitarists playing harmonies and polyrhythms. Crunchy, powerful and screaming guitars are joy to listen to and solos are well made. Not so rarely, acoustic guitar accompanies distorted ones. The guitars are the best element on this album. Classical elements have been programmed well with a synthesizer, by using strings and choir sounds. 'Reality Principle' features a human violin player and it jumps out from synthesized sounds easily. There's some very simple synth stuff, too, which is good if you like it. I don't. Drums are synthesized and that's always bad. While drums are blasting and sounds utilized are surprisingly organic at times, it still bothers me, especially as the drums are a bit too loud in the mix. Otherwise the sound is good.

Musically this is theatrical. There's no "normal" songwriting to be heard. Rough parts are cut by calm, atmospheric ones. Usually very loud and quite epic, but covering everything from blasting heaviness to stillness. At times extreme metal, at times simply cheesy. Vocals are also quite theatrical. Ugly, deep growl, demonic growl and unique sharp, high and a bit nasal clean vocals alternate. I don't like the clean ones, but find them more like annoying and definitely lacking in power. Usually there's many vocal tracks overlapping. Generally Empyrean Sky cover more feelings than a majority of metal bands.

Oh, by the way: the album is independently released and it's a nice work as such. Pro-printed covers and generally good production. Guys must have spent a lot of time composing and creating the music.

Empyrean Sky manage to split my mind in two. Sometimes spellbinding, sometimes forbidding, but never boring for a long period. And gladly the good music is majority on this album. But in a whole, this is just too much on one listening in my opinion. Surely, a bold album that others will enjoy enormously while others will throw up while listening to it. I just can't enjoy this throughout, but I don't vomit at any occasion either. And one important point is, that I can't name a band who sound exactly like Empyrean Sky.

Rating: 7- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
08/31/2004 01:34