VALE OF PNATH — The Prodigal Empire (review)

VALE OF PNATH — The Prodigal Empire album cover Album · 2011 · Technical Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"The Prodigal Empire" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Colerado, Denver based death metal act Vale of Pnath. The album was released through Willowtip Records in August 2011.

On "The Prodigal Empire", Vale of Pnath play technical death metal of the more refined kind. While the music is certainly brutal we´re not talking brutal technical death metal but rather technical (and sligthly progressive) death metal in the vein of Obscura, Beyond Creation, Augury and Abysmal Dawn. Lightning fast riffing with neo-classical leanings, insanely technical drumming and some pretty good growling/occasionally higher pitched sneering vocals. As such the music on "The Prodigal Empire" is not the most unique or original sounding technical death metal I´ve ever listened to, but it´s damn convincing in just about every other way possible. The musicianship is brilliant, the sound production is fat and powerful and the tracks are very well composed and feature both hooks, variation and jaw-dropping moments.

Had I known about the existence of "The Prodigal Empire" come end of the year 2011, this album would most definitely have made it unto my "top albums of the year list". This is one of those rare technical death metal releases where the technical playing is a means to an end rather than just mindless wankery or an excuse for not being able to write a memorable tune. These guys fully understand the importance of putting the song first and the playing second. To my ears "The Prodigal Empire" is a "must hear" for fans of the most refined part of the technical death metal genre and A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is fully deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Tarantula Heart Sludge Metal
MELVINS
Buy this album from MMA partners
God Damned You To Hell Traditional Doom Metal
FRIENDS OF HELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Absence Melodic Death Metal
THE ABSENCE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Unextinct Technical Death Metal
HIDEOUS DIVINITY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Powerlords Power Metal
ELETTRA STORM
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Fallen Ashes - Wage War (Official Lyric Video)
FALLEN ASHES
Bosh66· 5 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Unreality (Single) 2024
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 5 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Cold Hands
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 5 days ago
IRON MONKEY - Misanthropizer (Official Music Video)
IRON MONKEY
Bosh66· 8 days ago
??? (Losing ART) - "????" (Official Music Video) [HD]
漂浮者樂團
Bosh66· 8 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed