CD Review: Mencea - Pyrophoric

Written by Thomas Winter Wednesday, 04 July 2012 10:38

Artist: Mencea
Title: Pyrophoric
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Release Date: 23rd March 2012
Label: Indie Recordings

Album Review

MENCEA a Greek Progressive Death Metal band created a new album with much more aggressive and also melodic parts. ‘Pyrophoric’ is a release with much strong but also some weak parts. They are now back after their debut album ‘Dark Matter Energy Noir’ which was released 2008 and show that they learned much and evolved in a real good fashion. MENCEA changed their line-up and strike back with much more vigour. The vocals improved much more in comparison to their debut album, the formerly mid-ranged screams dominate no longer so lower and more powerful growls control this album. In contrast to other Progressive Death Metal bands which use much more polished and neat sounds with precise riffing patterns MENCEA utilize a much more natural sound creation with more low-end crunch.

They prefer almost mid-paced head-bobbing grooves over staccato patterns. With their use of some good hitting melodic parts they strike a fascinating chord almost like a modern melodic death metal band. MENCEA obviously taking influence from the genre but use it in a more interesting and modern context which the term melodic should be applied. And this are also their weak-points for die-hard fans from this genre they are to melodic with relatively unvaried tempo parts using an excessive atmosphere. But in my opinion this is a quiet refreshing and re-energized element. I really enjoyed this album and a lot more than I expected to actually. So it was a real unforeseen surprise. Definitely a band worth taking a look using melody in an interesting way with a specific unique perspective on the whole melodic-death sound. It’s great to see a band evolving into something unexpected but reaching for other highs.


Tracklist

01. Phosphorous
02. CCC
03. Elders
04. Hounds
05. Beheading
06. Pyrophoric
07. Invocation
08. The Dead


Line-up

Vlasis Ziouvas – Vocals
Stamos Koliousis – Guitars
Vangelis Labrakis – Guitars
Kostas Alatas – Bass
Bertrand Rothen – Drums


Website

http://www.facebook.com/menceaofficial


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10