Greek melodic progressive metal band Black Fate return strong and forceful on their newest album ‘Ithaca’, delivering powerful performance throughout. They bring together a beautiful symphonic landscape that is organically salty and filled with catchy guitar riffs, and big score melodies highlights. It is evident the band has progressively moved forward from album to album, and Ithaca is a wonderful landscape of great artistry matured and seasoned as it is beautiful and epic filled. Chemistry is a very important component in the fluidity of the product, and the musicians ooze chemistry through their skill set. This chemistry allows for easy listening and great enjoyment of the occasion, and one feels allured to celebrate the accomplishment of “Ithaca” with the band naturally.
The vocals deliver a hauntingly and dramatic execution that is a complimentary driving force to the musical landscape beneath. Vasilis Georgiou has a lot of warmth and depth to his voice that draws one into the musical landscape and the adventure story telling.
The music is like a score from a fantasy movie right from the start with, “From Ashes Dust”. I need to mention that there is some great solo guitar playing throughout the album. Without getting too involved with the obvious Greek references ie”Ithaca”, the music is journey filled and sweeps you on a journey from start to end. It’s an album that is of layered content that infuses with great story like articulation. “Maze” is a great power metal track, straight forward and to the point. Black Fate is great at melodies, and “Maze” showcases some great melodies. “Savior Machine” which is one of their singles is a solid track with symphonic elements that digs deep into the dramatic and beauty of well written symphonic overlay. It’s a big number without being over crowded, and the symphonic don’t distract from the wonderful melodies and catchy riffs. “Fortress of Solitude” faultlessly continues where “Savior Machine” ends in almost continuation, as a part 2, which seems to conclude with the track, “Nemesis”, as a sort of trilogy. All three songs deliver strong performances that are filled with some stellar guitar solos and memorable melodies.
“Secret Place” and “Reach for the Stars” continue like a second chapter to the album, working well together, with a lighter feel. Then we get “Rainbow’s End, like another chapter in a novel, which brings the rampant energy and speed of the album to an abrupt halt in a memorizing cascade of beautiful song ship. The vocal delivery here is both haunting and mysterious in a gentle lullaby sort of way. It shows a very delicate side of the band that they pull off effortlessly even though it’s quite striking contrast of the previous tracks.
The album is elegant and beautifully crafted with an emotional impartation that is encapsulated in powerful melodies. This is an album for the poet within, the adventurer at heart and the music enthusiast that enjoys great depth and storytelling in their music. Gus Drax guitar skills are a highlight on a song like, “Queen of Shadows”, and hemis Koparanidis’s keyboard skills are governing and centre page on, “One last Breathe”. This is a wonderful progressive metal album that is layered in complexity and tuneful textures that are both inviting and encapsulating. “Ithaca” is a must have addition for the progressive metal music enthusiast.
Rating: 9/10
Review by Donovan de Necker
Tracklist:
1. From Ashes & Dust
2. Ithaca
3. Maze
4. Savior Machine
5. Fortress of Solitude
6. Nemesis
7. Secret Place
8. Reach for the Stars
9. Rainbow’s End
10. One Last Breath
11. Queen of Shadows
12. Circle of Despair
Release Date: 23rd October 2020
Record Label: Rockshots Records
Lineup:
Vasilis Georgiou – vocals
Gus Drax – guitar
Vasilis Liakos – bass
Nikos Tsintzilonis – drums
Themis Koparanidis – keyboards
Albums:
“Black Fate” Demo 1992
“A Piece of Dream” Demo 1993
“Demo 2000” Demo 2000
“Uncover” 2002
“A Piece of Dream” Comp 2003
“Promo 2007” Demo 2007
“Deliverance of Soul” 2009 (review)
‘Lines in the Sand’ Single 2014
“Between Visions & Lies” 2014 (review)
‘Nemesis’ Single 2020
“Ithaca” 2020
Video for ‘Fatal Prelude’
Video for ‘Maze’
Lyric video for ‘Nemesis’
Visualizer video for ‘Savior Machine’
