Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Thyrane - Travesty of Heavenly Essence - 2006 - Spinefarm/Candlelight Records

Track Listing1.Parasites of Submission 2. Decay of Christian Empire 3. Travesty of Heavenly Essence 4. Nox Diaboli 5. Legacy of Saints in Disguise 6. Deteriorated 7. Truth Revealed 8. Tolerance 9. Divinity Under Will 10.Prisoner of Pain 11.Lost in Reflection/font>

“Travesty of Heavenly Essence” is the fourth release from Finnish melodic/industrial black/death metallers Thyrane. I apologize for the wordy and somewhat confusing classification, but Thyrane cover a lot of ground musically on this album and labeling them as anything less would be inappropriate. Throughout their career they’ve apparently produced some symphonic black metal as well as industrial-tinged black metal. On this record those two styles are combined, and, with a touch of melodic death metal, create a pretty interesting albeit imperfect sound.

Guitarist and vocalist Blastmor emits a consistent mid-range growl often seen in black and death metal bands alike. However, his voice is particularly reminiscent of Dark Tranquility’s Michael Stanne. The music is mostly dominated by synthetics, played by Hannamari, although some songs such as “Prisoner of Pain” are at times guitar-led. Even this song, however, has a strong electronic presence during the chorus which overpowers any and all guitar work. After a couple of listens, it’s clear that Thyrane are onto something with their approach to music, but are missing a few key factors.

At times, such as “Parasites of Submission” they seem to be drawing solely from black metal influences, and the electronics seem almost forced and out of place. Other tracks, such as “Nox Diaboli” contain an excellent blend of synthetic effects and metal music, resulting in an epic-sounding song. Blastmor and company need to hone their writing style a bit to the point where the different elements of their songs blend all of the time, not just some of the time. In addition, most of the album has a somewhat unenergetic feel to it. This really hurts Thyrane in the sense that with the style of music they are playing, energy and power are a key to success. Maybe it’s just the way the album is mixed, but most of the songs don’t pack the same punch as those of similar bands such as Shade Empire and …And Oceans.

Overall, “Travesty of Heavenly Essence” is an enjoyable listen, and I don’t want to turn people away from it. While listening, however, I just can’t help but notice a few flaws that, if they could be remedied, would allow for a much better album. These small details are what often make the difference between a good album and a truly memorable one. Right now Thyrane are in the first category; hopefully with a bit more time they can advance to the second. The potential is certainly there.


7/10


--Veritas 04.22.06