Bands out there take notice.
Your bio and introductory email/passage is vital to your chances of being listened to or overlooked – often without that person even listening to your song.
Whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant. It’s simply the way it is.
Pretty much the first thing I read after receiving new music from Exodus Rising was this “Embark on a transformative musical odyssey with Exodus Rising, pioneers of Progressive Melodic Heavy Metal weaving the timeless tales of the Bible, from The Book of Genesis to Revelation, with unparalleled artistry. Positioned at the forefront of a revolutionary musical era, we are poised to reshape the landscape of Progressive Metal.”
And from there I felt compelled to listen.
So was it false advertising, or can Exodus Rising back their words?
The song in question, Paradise Lost, starts in good enough fashion as a fleeting, almost angelic sigh pierces the silence before a wickedly thunderous drum roll ignites the guitar and bass, and we are off to battle.
I say battle because this feels epic in scale already, sort of like a journey into Middle Earth, with the gentle angelic tones persisting in the background over subtle guitars and more frenetic drumming.
When the vocals kick in, they sound as expected, a soaring and majestic broadsword of sonic disparity that sweeps you along effortlessly.
The moments of urgency created through minimalistic use of instruments acts as a warning of sorts before the vocals reclaim centre stage. This guy has an impressive vocal range that he uses for effect rather than as a go-to.
A soulful guitar solo with a piano-style underscore leads us into calmer territory as the vocals become the focal point, rising and falling in time with the keys. It is a beautiful moment of respite before a more aggressive guitar solo asserts authority until the keys and electronics burst clear and wage war on their stringed bandmates.
You can almost get a sense of what the song is about just by following the vocal changes, but it is the angelic choir-type moments that provide a whimsical tone of mysticism and pure enchantment at times.
The changes are subtle but noticeable, but that voice holds everything together, weaving a tapestry of emotions and feelings that acts as a conductor and narrator of sorts.
The closing moments of the track are quicker in tempo, giving the feel of a race against time where one mistake could prove fatal before a soft trail of keys brings things to a close.
When you can sit back after a song and replay the many emotive responses it left on your psyche over the duration, then the band has well and truly done their job.
And Exodus Rising are definitely at the top of the class with this effort.
