EARLY CROSS — Pathfinder (review)

EARLY CROSS — Pathfinder album cover Album · 2013 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Time Signature
Cry havoc...

Genre: landscape rock

The Japanese act refer to their style as landscape rock, which definitely sounds exotic and ethereal, but captured by this obscure genre label is in reality a rather unique type of post metal.

Combining introspective alternative rock with elements from doom metal, the Japanese cleverly draw on two of the most depressive and melancholic genres in modern rock music. And, what is more, they manage to strike a perfect balance between them, taking the listener through mellow and atmospheric alternative passages juxtaposed with heavier and slower doom sections, with the occasional more aggressive part every now and then.

A further element is progressiveness. For my money, this album is a progressive metal album - although not your average instrument-masturbating one. That is not to say that there is something wrong with the musicianship, because there definitely isn't. These guys are excellent songwriters, and Natasha Vaichuk's introvert and vulnerable, and sometimes deliberately off-key, vocals suit the music perfectly.

"Pathfinder" is a very original post-metallic release, which should appeal to fans of the likes of Ghost Brigade, The Gathering, and perhaps even Opeth.
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