This is the sound of the sand
transcribed into the language of metal. As soon as the first track
starts and you hear the melancholic singing of a woman; the synths
come and and finally the guitars transport you to a world of
traditional power metal combined with Arabian atmosphere. When the
rest of the album wraps around you like a dust storm in the desert
you are hooked. This album is fun, it's progressive and it's simply
good. Take the music of Symphony X or Kamelot, change the theme and
you get Myrath's Tales of The Sand.
Myrath is a progressive power metal
band from Magreb, a region located in north Africa to the northwest
of Egypt. The band was formed in 2001 under the name Xtasy when the
founder and lead guitarist, Malek Ben Arbia, was only 13 years old.
They honed their skills by playing Death and Symphony X covers for
years before they finally released their debut album “Hope” under
the name Myrath in September of 2007. The music that they play is a
blend of traditional power metal in the vein of Symphony X embodied
in Arabian atmosphere.
The songs are sung by Zeher in a
mixture of Arabic and English, adding a lot of diversity to the vocal
delivery. Zeher himself has a really wide range, able to caress the
highest notes with ease and using his accent to add another layer of
Arabian atmosphere. The subject matter is a mix of myth and legend;
there are songs about pirates, love, anger, and self-loathing. The
song “Merciless Times” is about self-loathing and waiting too
long to accomplish what you want to do in life. It's also the first
single and one of the strongest tracks on the album along with “Sour
Sigh” “Wide Shut” and “Beyond The Stars.” If your looking
for a track to listen to before making a purchasing decision I would
choose “Wide Shut” as I think it shows most of what makes the
band so special.
The best aspects of the album are the
way that they integrate traditional Arabic oriental sounds with
modern power metal riffs; the sparingly but excellent use of synth's
and strings; and the lead singers varied and beautiful vocals. These
three aspects really work together in concert to create what makes
this band so unique and special. There are other bands based around
similar material such as Ophaned Land, but Myrath take the sound in a
much different direction. Preferring fun and fantasy to the Elegance
that Orphand Land provides.
The only fault that I can really
provide is that at times things get a bit too traditional and they
lose their grip on what makes them really stand out. It doesn't
happen often enough to really become much of a bother but it's still
worth mentioning. There are also moments, particulary on the final
song “Time to Grow,” that veer dangerously close the Bon-Jovi
like metal of groups like Solution 45. Other than those few minor
complaints I cannot find much else to fualt. Every song has something
unique and interesting and while it might not push the genre forward
the band does a great job intigrating their influences and Arabian
sound.
