HYMNARIUM

Resonaxis

Crossover Prog

4.01 | 14 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Outstanding sophomore effort from Australian band Resonaxis, "Hymnarium" is a pipe organ-dominated ride through mood, majesty and yes, I'll say it: haunting beauty.

Much could be made of the commanding lead of that church organ, and surely it is a defining aspect of "Hymnarium"'s sound, but it is worth noting that there is a goodly amount of heavy guitar work at play here too, which, along with the bass and drums, fleshes out the sound justly. A strong effort musically, but where many bands falter (vocally and/or lyrically), Resonaxis play their ace in the hole:

Vocalist and songwriter Brooke Shelley has an angelic but powerfully operatic voice, soaring through a series of enchanting and darkly poetic tales. Solemnity gives way to spookiness which gives way to grief, mystery, poignance. On several occasions through my first and second listens of the album, I found myself just sitting and reading along with the lyrics in the booklet - a very good sign that I had a unique and fascinating album on my hands - and I do. "Hymnarium" is a gem, and one that I'm very glad I took a chance on and blindly ordered from the band's website. If this review has found you intrigued, I encourage you to do the same. Magnificence!

Progatron | 4/5 | 2013-9-4

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