MOUNTAIN FEVER

Subterranean Masquerade is the Israeli group founded in 1997, working in post prog metal, progressive neo metal rock'n'roll. Their first opus of 2005 surprised me with this experimental, psyche and dark prog bent. Their 4th is said to explore the countries modern, traditional music with brass from the Balkans, bouzouki, black metal and gospel, some traces of jazzy and folk, devastating riffs and a confusing orchestral side. Guests from Orphaned Land and Melechesh come to glorify this little gem, the notes of which I will tell you.

"Snake Charmer" on heavy melodic retro prog, catchy on the rhythmic, soft voice, powerful single, a bit of an all-rounder which follows with "Diaspora, My Love" ballad with a crescendo mixing prog metal and oriental sequence, final death-dark à la Pain Of Salvation for the animal side, a very beautiful spleen guitar solo right in the middle before the band's signature and its growl voice. "Mountain Fever" and blazing brass intro, Doley's voice like that of Roy des Kamelots, then a groan that breaks the mood; melodic solo until a singular, confusing break, tribal with drums, violins, ideal for dancing in all directions, paradoxical sublime oriental section, musical oxymoron with chaos and sweetness, whisper and growl. "Inwards" and an intro from there, proven folk-troubadour, festive, sidereal sweetness, the oriental at the table with melody, then the riff and the voice of death which send heavy, bluesy solo, soft phrasing voice, jazzy , then it goes up, gets carried away, intense brass with sax, voice à la Axl de Guns N'Roses, orgasmic squirt. "Somewhere I Sadly Belong" continues on the same rhythm at the beginning: then surge to infernal Holy Moses, raw death metal then rock cover again to Guns; singular mix, a gospel song and a Hammond organ saving from musical wreck for purists but a title which will not leave indifferent; very confusing.

"The Stillnox Oratory" vocal break with Dolev who provides here on a romantic ballad with finesse on piano and strings; grandiloquent, aerial guitar solo, fruity and divine; emotion in bars, synth break then heavier final with the return of a growl voice skilfully mixed with emotional rhythm, there is Faith No More in it, magical. "Ascend" it drops, organ, placed rhythm, Dolev's voice over several octaves, the single from the album with an obvious chorus and then this divine, joyful, tribal orchestral break, oxymorian rock; the 'Oioioi' makes you want to sing too. "Ya Shema Evyonecha" in Hebrew, I suspected, mystical and violent; growl, brass, riffs, world music brewed together; the whistle gives the start for a crazy break fusion where the balkans invite you with the violin to dance and make a pact, loudly! "For The Leader, With Strings Music" starts again on the violent and nervous death-black metal which shows the true face of the group; you held on, well done, the musical break that follows is one of the most beautiful, melodic, melancholy, intimate, the sax which also surprises for an over-vitamin crescendo. "Mångata" with guitar, bouzouki, ballad, nod to the former singer, nostalgic post rock for this reflection of the moon on the water; Idan from Orphaned Land coming to throw some notes and allow the title to rise, Pain Of Salvation coming back to me. Subterranean Masquerade hit hard by mixing a little more his musical influences; it's sweet, strong, singular, ethnic and musical, it's groove, death, dark, extreme; it is varied, raw, inventive and interrogative; a singular fusion, creator of dark-heavy prog in an inventive musical melting pot.