Sometimes starting a cover band as teenagers leads to something much bigger. Myrath, which means “Legacy”, started out as a cover band in their teen years in France and Tunisia, playing mostly death metal covers to start, then Symphony X covers. The band released an ep in 2005 and in 2006 opened up for Robert Plant and Adagio, eventually leading to the Kevin Codfert of Adagio becoming producer for the band. Their first album Hope was released in France in 2007 and was well received by critics. Their second album Desert Call, was released on BIS Records in France, and American Nightmare Records in the US, both of which have ties to Sony distribution and helped introduce the band to a wider audience. Tales of the Sands (2011) further increased the status of the band and gained the band opening slots for Dream Theater, HIM, WASP, Orphaned Land and Tarja as the band toured the world. As Legacy comes out the band will be touring Europe opening up for Symphony X and is looking to arrange tours in North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
“Jasmin” opens up the album sounding much like something straight out of a Middle Eastern adventure movie and the symphonic elements blend right into the beginning of “Believer”, which also manages to retain the middle eastern flavor for a while. For those uninitiated in the sounds of Myrath, they are often described as “Oriental Metal” or something similar. Personally, that doesn’t really help me very much, so in my view I hear them as symphonic power metal with middle eastern elements. In general, there is a very high level of orchestration that provides an epic feel to the songs, which tend to build into soaring choruses all backed by a power metal rhythm section. Listening to this, the closest group I can think that comes close to this overall feel would be Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Production is incredibly clean, removing any trace of grit or roughness, something of which I am not a fan. As one would expect given the genre and previous description, performances are strong and flawless, but all of this perfection comes with a price, there is a lack of true emotion or feeling.
Songs like “The Needle”, “The Unburnt” , and “Other Side” start out with a promising heavy riff and feel to them, which made me think the album might be heading in a different direction but then the verse section quiets everything down with the vocals and atmospheric keyboards relegating the guitars to the background. Add in the expected soaring chorus and one can hear the direction on the album is not changing. The album takes an even quieter turn for “I Want to Die” and “Duat” as the power ballads make an appearance.
Looking around at various other comments on the album on the internet, I see my opinion being basically a lone outlier as others heap praise after praise on the album, so keep that in mind. This is the joy of being a reviewer, sometimes music just doesn’t work for some people and honestly, I can say I don’t understand the appeal of Myrath. That being said, I cannot deny the talent of the performers and the high quality of the production, they are top notch . If you are looking for some power metal with an epic feel and Middle Eastern flair, Myrath is definitely for you. For any power metal fan, I would recommend checking out Legacy since my opinion is in the minority and is so negative, I may be way off target.
Rating: 6.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Trackl Listing:
01. Jasmin
02. Believer
03. Get Your Freedom Back
04. Nobody’s Lives
05. The Needle
06. Through Your Eyes
07. The Unburnt
08. I Want To Die
09. Duat
10. Endure The Silence
11. Storm Of Lies
12. Other Side (North American bonus track)
Band Members:
Zaher Zorgatti : Lead Vocals
Malek Ben Arbia : Guitars
Anis Jouini : Bass Guitar
Elyes Bouchoucha : Keyboards
Morgan Berthet : Drums
Albums:
“Hope” (2007)
“Desert Call” (2010)
“Tales of the Sands” (2011)
“Legacy” Full-length (2016)
Record Label: Verycords (Europe) and Nightmare Records (US), 2015
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video below: ‘Believer’
Lyric video for ‘Nobody’s Lives’