A TRAPPED WAY OF WISDOM

I first experienced the music of Vielikan with their first EP, 'Emotional Void'. Although their talent as a progressive death metal band was clear enough, it was clear that they had much room to grow. Although this is only the debut full-length for this Tunisian act, they have worked up their sound in the years in between this and their early work. Easily drawing comparisons between Opeth or Gojira, Vielikan are a perfect representative for the more extreme side of Tunisian metal.

'A Trapped Way For Wisdom' displays Vielikan performing an atmospheric brand of death metal, similar to Opeth in the sense that ambient melodies are propped up against dark, heavy riffs. Vielikan's 'Emotional Void' was somewhat generic in its approach, but I am hearing a sea of atmosphere that they have since added to their sound. The production favours a 'vast' sound of reverb and background details. Vielikan's lust for atmosphere reminds me of some black metal, although their means are entirely death metal-oriented. The songwriting here tends to gear towards subtle melodies and doomy riffs. However, Vielikan are miles away from traditional 'melodic death metal'. The only time that the melodies are ever thrust upfront is during the cinematic climax of 'A Vertiginous Fall', a song originally from 'Emotional Void' that has been nicely rerecorded for this album.

When the atmospheric death-doom isn't enough, Vielikan occasionally stirs up their sound to become more intense. Here, listeners may find themselves thinking of Gojira, although- as frontman Fedor Souissi aptly puts it in an interview- the way the band merges their sounds and influences together gives them a sound of distinction. Typically, metal bands from the Middle-East, or Arabic cultures work traditional music of their homelands into their music. Tunisia's own Myrath is a grand example of this, but Vielikan are a band that sound as if they could have easily emerged from Europe. 'A Trapped Way Of Wisdom' has plenty of things about it that aren't found in a great deal of modern death metal; atmosphere, organic production, and- most of all- a sense of moderation that only occasionally allows the songwriting to run amok. Opeth fans are the first group I would recommend Vielikan's music for, although these Tunisians present a much darker take on that sound. Only time will tell whether Vielikan receives the attention within the death metal community they deserve.

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