(8/10) The first time I heard of Athanasia was two years ago when the trio opened for Civil War in their European tour. Without having had an album released the band played an excellent show, a gig that definitely challenged the other two band that night in April 2017.
I think that everybody hoped to see the debut of Athanasia within a few months after the tour, but it took almost 24 months. Good things come to those who wait.
‘The Order of the Silver Compass’ is on its way. The debut will be release mid March through ROAR and it features eight songs. Athanasia consists of Caleb Bingham (ex-Five Finger Death Punch), Brandon Miller and Jason West (both ex-Murderdolls and Wednesday 13). These three guys devote themselves to traditional heavy metal that comes with a very modern touch.
As it was two years ago in Leiden live on stage it’s the debut that’s a next treat for your metal ears. An acoustic guitar and spoken words introduce you to the album before a rocking riff kicks-off ‘Read Between the Lines’. The song is a good start and reflects the hard rock aspect of Athanasia’s sound. Some heavier outbursts appear here and there, but it’s the general rock vibe that carries the first songs.
The further you go through the tracklist of ‘The Order of the Silver Compass’, the more you can explore the heaviness of the trio. ‘Mechanized Assault’ is a mighty and blackened metal track that’s not in contrary to songs like the opener, however it shows the variety of Athanasia. The same goes for ‘Nightmare Sound’, before ‘White Horse’ pushes melodic metal to forefront.
I liked seeing the band live on stage and the debut ‘The Order of the Silver Compass’ is a well-placed next step, comprising of exciting songs that might have a bit of a too wide range of styles. However, better some variation than a cookie-cutter approach. Good stuff and horns up.
(8/10)
Tracklist:
1. Read Between The Lines
2. Spoils Of War
3. The Order Of The Silver Compass
4. Cyclops Lord (My Will Is Done)
5. The Bohemian
6. Mechanized Assault
7. Nightmare Sound
8. White Horse
Label: ROAR
Genre: Modern Metal
Release Date EU: March 15th, 2019
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