The Triptych, Demon Hunter’s third album released on Solid State Records, is proof that Demon Hunter is an evolving band. With more defined music, more powerful lyrics, and stronger vocals, Demon Hunter has yet to remain ‘just another one of your average heavy metal bands’, forever enhancing their sound until one day they may very well be remembered as one of the best Christian based bands created.
Being a combination of both “Summer Of Darkness” and their self-titled, The Triptych also has a more melodic element to it that the other albums seemed to lack. On top of its instant succession over the other Demon Hunter albums, The Triptych also made #1 on the Heatseekers chart and sold more copies in one week then “Summer Of Darkness” did in a month. Look out metal heads, Demon Hunter has come to claim their spot with some of the greatest modern metal bands to date. Here are my track reviews:
"The Flame That Guides Us Home", a 29 sec. intro the album, has a female singing a very Nightwish opera-like tune 'Sing now serif, find the calm within your soul/ Bring us closer to the flame that guides us home'. A very good intro, in which near the end, you can hear the beginning of “Not I” slowly rise in the background. (N/A)
“Not I”, the first actual track on the album, begins with a very fast guitar riff and Ryan Clark with his Slipknot-like style of growling. Ryan then goes into his clean vocals and then the chorus. After about 3 minutes into the song, the riffs change to a much heavier tone, and a sample from the previous track plays before Ryan comes back in with his growls. Overall, this is definitely the one of the two best heavy songs on this album. The chorus shows a lot of range from Ryan Clark and he keeps up with the speed and ferocity of the song. (5/5)
"Undying", the other rememberable heavy song on the album, starts off with a smooth drumline and then bursts into a very catchy riff. Ryan’s growls don’t really stand out on this song, but his clean vocals in the chorus make the song. The lyrics to this song is some of the best on the album. The song also has a very good flow to it, which was the one thing that “Not I”, the previous track, did not have throughout the entire song. (5/5)
“Relentless Intolerance” begins with some very strong riffs and drum beats as Ryan Clark does his usual growls like the previous tracks. Although this song has a good flow, it by far not the best song on the album, the chorus is rather weak unlike most of the other tracks. The lyrics, however, are really good. (3.5/5)
“Deteriorate”, the first acoustic on this CD, begins with a very slow guitar picking tune, similar to “My Heartstrings Come Undone” from ‘Summer Of Darkness’. The song then picks up a bit and Ryan starts with his clean singing, which he amazes with throughout the song. The lyrics on this song is some of the best you’ll ever find in Christian music. Definitely Demon Hunter’s best performance on the album as a whole. (5/5)
“The Soldier’s Song”, probably the most heaviest track on the album, begins with very fast riffs and drum work. Ryan Clark doesn’t use his clean vocals much on this song, but he makes it flow very well. A tribute to the men at war, this song stands out among the other tracks, but musically is not the best song on the album. It ends with sound of marching men going to war. (4/5)
“Fire To My Soul” starts with a steady drum beat and some weird static noise before bursting into some crushing guitar riffs. This song is a lot like “Relentless Intolerance”, with a very similar flow to it. The chorus isn’t that strong in this song either, making it one of the mediocre tracks on the album. (3/5)
“One Thousand Apologies” quickly blasts into an aura of riffs and a steady drumline, only to show it to being one of the acoustics on this album. Although not quite as strong as “Deteriorate”, this is still one of the best songs on this CD. Near the end, Ryan Clark comes back with his normal growls, but for only about 20 seconds. Again, the lyrics to this track are amazing. (5/5)
“The Science Of Lies” starts off with a slow rising sound of static until a burst of riffs take over the sound. Another really heavy track. Overall, it is a good, decent track. This song is probably the album’s weakest as far as lyrics go. Ryan Clark does a really impressive job on this song though. (4/5)
“Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck”, a remake that Demon Hunter made (originally done by the band Prong). This song is the only track in which Ryan Clark does not use his clean voice, but the band makes it up by creating a very catchy riff and tune of the song. A really good remake overall. (4.5/5)
“Ribcage”, the last heavy track on the album, starts off with a loud noise and then a blast of guitar riffs. Ryan’s vocals on the chorus are really impressive with this track, but his growls are a tad off on the song as a whole. Nothing much else to say about this one. (3.5/5)
“The Tide Began To Rise” begins with a beautiful piano solo and violins. Ryan then comes in with his clean voice making this the 3rd ballad on the album. Musically, this track rocks (except for one part when there is this weird ambient noise in the background), in the first part of the song, Ryan’s vocals are really good and fits the atmosphere well. The second part of the song could of used a bit more work, disrupting the flow of the song a bit. Still a great closer for this near classic album. (4/5)
Pros
-- Ryan’s vocals
-- The lyrics
-- The guitarists and drummer are awesome
-- The piano solo
Cons
-- Some repetitiveness in some songs
-- Not every track flowed very well
