dtguitarfan One of the first things I thought as I listened to this album was "these guys sound like...Fates Warning mixed with Epica...no, that's not it...not at all...." I was immediately struck by this sense of familiarity, and yet I could not put my finger on particular influences. This is a good thing. Another impression I had during the first song was that I felt like I was in a movie - a very dramatic one. The whole album was not like this, however, but the band played with changing syncopated rhythm patterns, thunderous drums, and driving guitar rhythms throughout. They even have a jazzier side that they demonstrate in Swimming Through Desserts. The album ends with a great 16 minute epic that is worth the cost of the album alone. This is an excellent choice for any fan or female-fronted metal, and I can say that this is an excellent addition to my collection that I will come back to again and again.

Conor Fynes 'Coma Ghosts' - Effloresce (8/10)

Some months ago, I was introduced to Effloresce through their first- and at the time only- release, an EP that instantly screamed a fusion of the most trademarked elements of both Dream Theater and Opeth. While I was impressed with Effloresce's musical ability and even some of their songwriting chops, I ultimately felt that the band had fallen short in terms of creating a lasting musical experience, thanks in no small part due to the derivative nature of their sound. As female-fronted bands in metal go, Effloresce were certainly one of the better acts I had had the pleasure of hearing, but I wondered if they would ultimately go down in history as 'that Opeth band with the female vocalist'. 'Coma Ghosts' is now their start in the world of full-length recordings, an hour of progressive metal which has seen some much-desired improvement in the areas where I thought the band could use some work. Although their influences are still evident, I can say that Effloresce has broken out of the Opeth-worship pit that I feared would swallow them, and in doing so, have created one of the strongest prog metal albums to come out lately.

At least one thing I mentioned when reviewing the EP still stands: while I have generally seen the female-fronted metal band to be a format that favours bands who sacrifice instrumental integrity in order to make their vocalist the centre of attention, Effloresce has always been a band that enjoys a well-rounded contribution from all musicians. Vocalist Nicki Weber's voice plays a central role in Effloresce's music, but a sense of instrumental complexity sets this band apart from the legions of cookie-cutter symphonic metal bands that have stigmatized the female-fronted approach. Not only that, but Weber's incredibly melodic voice works very well for the music that Effloresce does. Although the riffs and thunderous drum work seems to take a hint from the European melodic death world, Weber's higher pitched, near-operatic delivery soars over without ever pushing the instruments into the background. This may be in part due to the legendary Dan Swano's expert mixing of the album, but Effloresce have cleverly avoided falling into some of the ruts I may have once suspected for them.

The songwriting and arrangement on 'Coma Ghosts' is nothing short of ambitious. Effloresce are still something of a disciple of the prog-death powerhouses Opeth, but their music feels valid and relevant to the current metal scene. From more mellowed-out jazz tunesmanship ('Swimming Through Deserts') or death metal intensity ('Pavement Canvas') or even that welcome prog metal archetype, the 16 minute epic, Effloresce root themselves very firmly within the 'prog metal' school. Given the aging prog metal canon in 2012, some of the risks that Effloresce take feel superfluous, such as having a 'Part 1' to the second track 'Spectre' and implying a sequel in the next album. Where Effloresce strikes gold however is in their tasteful melange of bands that proggers will instantly identify, but using those disparate elements in order to create something that feels relatively fresh. An excellent album, and it's a pleasure to see the potential I first heard in Effloresce to blossom like this.

J-Man Although the German progressive metal scene has plenty of established veterans like Sieges Even, Vanden Plas, and Mekong Delta, the country hasn't had too many young voices to carry the torch in recent years. Judging by their killer debut album, Effloresce may very well be the next big progressive metal export from Germany - Coma Ghosts shows a band with a very firm grasp on how to deliver amazing prog metal while still pushing the boundaries of the genre, and the fact that this level of maturity is obtained on a debut album is admirable. In short, Coma Ghosts is a professional, memorable, and original observation that should be satisfying metal fans well into 2012 and beyond!

Opeth, particularly on albums like Blackwater Park and Watershed, is clearly a large influence to Effloresce. While their sound is not entirely dependent on these Swedish veterans, the mix of 70's progressive rock, melodic death metal, and folk found throughout much of Coma Ghosts makes the reference almost inevitable. Effloresce makes their main distinction from Opeth by keeping the death metal influences to a minimum, and instead including more traditional-sounding progressive metal sections as well as an occasional gothic atmosphere. Female vocalist Nicki Weber also helps give Effloresce a voice of their own, and her powerful clean pipes and occasional black metal-styled rasps are an integral part of the band's style. Although I tend to think that her harsh vocals could've been integrated into the music a bit more convincingly and delivered with more power, it's a rather minor flaw in the long run since the majority of the vocals here are excellent clean singing.

While the Opeth comparison is rather invalid throughout much of the album (songs like "Crib" bear little resemblance to the Swedes), a song like "Swimming Through Deserts" could very well be the creation of Mikael Akerfeldt with the addition of a beautiful soprano vocalist. The 70's-styled progressive rock with a jazzy, folky, and slightly twisted edge will strike a chord with many prog metal listeners, and Effloresce delivers this style just as convincingly as they do when it comes to pummeling metal riffs. Coma Ghosts is one of those rare cases where, even though I'm able to identify plenty of obvious influences in the music, the style is still wholly original. The strength of the composition and execution is what makes Coma Ghosts a truly worthwhile experience, however, and in addition to crafting exceptionally well-written pieces of music, the musicianship is exceptional across the board. Although Effloresce may be relatively new to the scene, their craft as musicians is never questioned on this album.

As an additional bonus, Coma Ghosts was mixed and mastered by Swedish metal legend Dan Swanö of Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, and Bloodbath fame, so you can expect an absolutely killer sound to top things off. Though the relatively unimpressive harsh vocals and occasionally overtly Opethian influence may keep many listeners from calling this a masterpiece, there are still more than enough assets to make this a remarkable album. Effloresce have gotten off on the right foot with this excellent debut offering, and I'll be ecstatic to hear what they have up their sleeves in the coming years. When December rolls around, I have a feeling this will be praised not only as one of the year's most impressive debuts, but also as one of 2012's best progressive metal records - it really is that good! My rating here will be 4 big stars, as well as an easy recommendation to fans of the more organic and melancholic side of prog metal. This is a must-hear if you're into progressive metal that rarely relies on the 'traditional' sound pioneered by the likes of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Queensryche.

Time Signature Birds of prey...

Genre: progressive gothic metal

Although the female-fronted German band Effloresce released this EP back in 2009, "Shades of Fate" is currently being promoted, probably in connection with the upcoming release of their debut album "Coma Ghosts" which will hit the streets in February this year.

And I am actually sympathetic towards this strategy, because this EP does not deserve to be cast into oblivion. Taking their starting point in the type of progressive metal for which Dream Theater and Fates Warning paved the way two decades ago, Effloresce delivers progressive metal with a Gothic touch. Sacrificing some of the technicality of performance that characterize many acts in the progressive metal universe in the name of mood and emotional expressivity, Effloresce have produced a fairly original piece of work in "Shades of Fate".

Now, the complexity is there. I mean the average song length is around ten minutes, and every song is complex in structure and full of moves and passages, some of which are aggressive, some of which are darkly psychedelic, some of which are mellow, some of which are lush, some of which are minimalist, and some of which are more in the vein of alternative metal. Thus, the three tracks are quite dynamic and rich in expression, and there are complex time signatures other advanced elements plus non-metal element such as the use of the flute, which appears in 'Sunset in the Snowdome'. So, there is no doubt that this is complex and progressive metal for the thinking person, but it never becomes too technical or too quirky and, consequently, quite accessible.

There are no major flaws on the album. The vocals, I must admit, do not appeal to me, as they are mostly on the soft and gentle side. A personal preference of mine when it comes to female vocalists in metal is more rockish vocals, and there is not a lot of belting on this album. Still, Nicki Weber is a very talented vocalist, and she does a good job with the vocals (she actually does a lot of death growling on the EP), and no-one can take that away from her.

One thing that is a problem, I think, is that the production seems a bit imbalanced with the guitars and drums being really loud - which is perhaps one reason why the vocals come across as weak every now and then. It should be mentioned that the bass is audible, so we are not dealing with an "...And Justice for All"-case here. And, I think that a lot of people will actually like the unpolished sound of the album.

Sophisticated and dynamic, "Shades of Fate" is a fine and quite original progressive metal release which should appeal to both fans of progressive metal and Gothic metal. If "Coma Ghosts" is going to be along the lines of Shades of Fate, then things definitely look promising.

(review originally posted at seaoftranqiulity.org)

Windhawk Nice initial effort from this German five-piece, taking their cues from the Dream Theater school of progressive metal but expanding it with gentle flute soloing, clear female lead vocals, the occasional growls to contrast it and some nifty features from the rhythm department.

The compositions as such have more of an emphasis in moods, atmospheres and resonances than pace-filled technical virtuosity however, and the slow to midpaced compositions are generally of the darker variety in sound. A few gentle passage inserts contrasts the otherwise rich and massive cascades provided by the riff constructions quite nicely, and while a few details short of impressive this is a fine initial effort by a band that comes across as creative and talented.