Review Summary: Life's only a playground.
Pitching Myrath to the uninitiated listener is like describing a foreigner's accent without referencing their country of origin. If you will, imagine a modern-day Amorphis born and forged by deserts and tribes, as opposed to skies and lakes. Initial releases (
Hope and
Desert Call) laid a progressive establishment, showcasing a rare blend of Tunisian heritage and musical prowess. This amalgamation, otherwise known as oriental metal, is more commonly associated with Israel's Orphaned Land. Yet Myrath are no Orphaned Land. By comparison, Myrath are concise, straightforward and accessible. Such facets are just as apparent when you objectively consider their 2011 release,
Tales of the Sands. Tight and superbly produced, Myrath's third album was arguably their best case for inviting listeners to hear something that could best be described as an oriental appetizer. Five years later they're continuing that case, only this time the developments are of a more subtle nature.
Legacy is an amusing title, considering that's what Myrath literally translates to. It may also be an appropriate one, since
Legacy isn't a drastic departure from
Tales of the Sands. Myrath's greatest strength has been how they manage to balance traditional structure and innovative harmony. This is in large part thanks to an effective born-of-the-desert persona, evident in the folk-like tuning of each instrument. Even the strong reliance of keyboards is instrumental (pun not intended) to making their music feel authentic. Myrath still exhibit some progressive metal tendencies, although they exist primarily from an audible standpoint. These include anything from pipes to stringed instruments (besides guitars) to the occasional beckoning chant. Combine the above factors with an enthusiastic singer to match every tune and we have the recipe for something comfortably familiar yet intriguingly fun.
So how have Myrath evolved on their latest album? More than anything, they've toned back on their former grit in favor of a more melodic affair. Aggressive guitar riffs once led the pack, but now they share the spotlight with an oh so slight emphasis on folk influences. For instance, violins now frequent their enthusiasm throughout the album, immediately evidenced by intro track "Jasmin" leading into the album's single, "Believer." Likewise, "Nobody's Lives" and "Endure the Silence" are both quick to give Myrath's non-metal characteristics time to shine. Make no mistake,
Legacy is still a metal album, it's just less overt in how heavy it is. Songs like "Get Your Freedom Back" start with attractive guitar notes, but even they ultimately lay off the adrenaline, as if to take a backseat. Subsequently, singer Zaher Zorgati graces us with a performance that favors clean singing, whereas
Tales of the Sands saw him frequent in deeper, borderline raspy vocals with the occasional scream ("Dawn Within"). The end result for
Legacy is a smoothed over sound, with Zorgati's voice in particular feeling more natural than any of his prior outings.
Myrath are reaching a point in their career where even greater avenues can be taken. For the past nine years they've effectively created an identity under various shades of music, dabbling in the melodic, progressive and oriental. To that end,
Legacy is Myrath's stake to claim as a casual oriental metal band; it shows them at just the right level of comfort to either move from or fall back on when the time arises. All they need to do is develop into something greater so they may truly forge a legacy worth remembering.
