THE ARCHAIC COURSE

There is a such thing as progressive black metal. Hard to believe, yes. It's not merely the presence of the keys, but the style the band exudes itself. Here, they take a different approach to songwriting, while still maintaining many of the trademarks of the black metal genre.

As in many albums, the band approaches things from a mythological standpoint (as often found in the genre). The vocals are more operatic in approach than scathing, although both can be found. The drums, for lack of a better word, are quite plain. The guitars focus on riff structures more than tremolo effects, and tend to migrate towards a somewhat "epic" structure.

My favorite piece here is Ad Noctum and Oceans Rise, as both probably have the most dynamic and varied band work of the album. I find other later releases by the band to be a bit better, although this might be a good start for those in the extreme metal field to lean towards more progressive material.

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