Album Rating: 3.5

Wait, so to you this is better than Sphynx?

I haven't listened to this.

Album Rating: 3.5

Ah, Emissaries! Sorry man, my brain isn't working too well today...

Haha it's all good man. I might listen to Emissaries today again. It's been a while.

Album Rating: 4.0

@ Hawks : Well, I know what do you mean. At some point, Sphynx bored me as well : after the 20th + listen, the middle of Sphynx (Apkallu Counsel/Tablets of Fate/Triangular Tattvic Fire) is pretty boring, but "Incendium Between Mirage and Time" kicks major ass.

But this one seems to be more interesting for several reasons :



-More variety

-More "brutality" (more thrashy than Sphynx if you want)

-More epic moments



Edit : But in comparison to Emissaries... I don't know... "Emissaries" is more catchy and rapidly enjoyable than "The Epigenesis" which is more demanding.

That could be true, I just think this band really tends to overdo things at times. They make albums so much longer than they actually should be and this review kinda verifies that.

Album Rating: 4.0

I don't know. It could be true for "Sphynx" but not for "Emissaries" where the band perfectly harnessed its music.

"The Epigenesis" probably suffer from the same issues as "Sphynx" : some tracks are too long (and the tracklist seems a bit haphazard) BUT the thrashy parts (and the sumerian ones) are pretty much as good as thoses of Emissaries... Well if not better on some songs ("Ghouls Of Nineveh", "Sacred Geometry ", "Defeating the Giants" and the last-ditch stand "The Epigenesis")

Yeah I definitely like Emissaries better than Sphynx. I'm probably not even going to take my chances with this one though.

Album Rating: 3.5

@Jotun: Triangular Tattvic Fire is the best song in the album are you nuts?!

Album Rating: 4.0

@ Baphomet : It's not a matter of song, it's (again) a matter of tracklist. This song would be more enjoyable if placed just AFTER "The Arrival Ritual" or "Incendium Between Mirage and Time", or maybe at the beginning of the album, but not after two average songs like "Apkallu Counsel" and "Tablets of Fate". So I agree, it's an excellent song (but my favorites are "Incendium Between Mirage and Time" and "Annunaki's Golden Throne").

Album Rating: 3.5

Well that's great reasoning and I respect it, but to me Sphynx is near flawless. Annunaki's Golden Throne is my second fav.

I still don't understand how you love Sphynx so much. I mean it's decent, but it's just way too long for it's own good.

Album Rating: 4.0

"I still don't understand how you love Sphynx so much"



It's easy : before Sphynx, there was only one "sumerian metal" record... "Djin". ^^



Edit : Ok, maybe an Orphaned Land release too, but it's not exactly "sumerian", neither black or death metal.

Well I'm sure he has a better reason than that. Liking it just because it was the first "sumerian" or whatever album isn't too good of a reason.

Album Rating: 3.5

No better reason, I'm a sucker for anything "sumerian".



Srsly though, it has some truth to it. The songs feel extremely well executed while blending agressive, fast paced yet catchy black/death metal with the sumerian folk music. I've always enjoyed Death/doom/black metal which takes influences from folk from different parts of the world, like Amorphis or Agalloch. And Sphynx, to me, is the epitome of this "blending".



It has nothing on Silent Waters, though.

I like the whole black metal mixed with folk too, but I think this band doesn't really execute it as well as bands (like you said) Amorphis or Agalloch. I think a band like Chthonic easily beats Melechesh at their own game.

Everytime I see this I keep thinking its Melleefresh

Album Rating: 3.5

Ah yes, Chthonic. Seediq Bale is amazing, but again, to me, Sphynx has a better execution. Anyway to each his own. I just finished downloading this so I'm going to give it a listen.

Amen brother. Seediq Bale is one of my favorite symphonic black metal albums ever.

Album Rating: 4.0

Symphonic BM ? I'm not at ease with that kind of stuff, but maybe I should give this "Seediq Bale" a try...