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Stormy Atmosphere – Pent Letters

Label: Metal Scrap / Release Date: 10th September 2015
  • 86%
    Stormy Atmosphere – Pent Letters - 86%

Stormy Atmosphere is a band that surprised me in more ways than one: First off, the artwork depicting their newest release, Pent Letters, caused me to assume that I would be dealing with either a Power or a Gothic Metal release. I was wrong. Secondly, the moment I learned that the quintet actually plays their own style of Progressive Metal, I thought that it would be too far beyond my comfort zone for me to find it enjoyable. I was mistaken. And thirdly, I as just downright surprised when I learned that the band is of Israeli descent – For no other reason than it is the first time that I have had the chance to review a band from that particular country. Now that my assumptions have been thoroughly decimated, I can inform you that in the case of Stormy Atmosphere, their Progressive sound is based heavily upon very theatrical, almost Gothic sounds and melodies (something to with I can relate and definitely enjoy). They are not nearly as dedicated to the whole theatrical aspect as bands such as Le Village Noir, but you still get the feeling at times that you are listening to the soundtrack of some movie just beyond your reach. Instrumental tracks such as ”The Way Home” are exceptionally good at exploiting this fact, but really, all the tracks carry aspects and variations of this near-movie theme. And I must admit, it grew on me quickly. As if to utilize the whole theatrical aspect to its fullest, Stormy Atmosphere also makes exquisite use of the fact that they have two vocalists – One male and one female; A perfect blend for duets, of which there are plenty. And just to top it all off, Pent Letters has a running total of an impressive one hour and eleven minutes. All in all not bad for the bands second release. I suppose hardcore Progressive Metal fans going into this album expecting a lot of long, impressive solos might be a bit disappointed: They are present, but in a far less degree than I for one am used to. Instead, there are a lot of other, different instruments, solos, rhythms and melodies present, all of them working together around a strong coherent, gothic feel – But done so progressively. The band is quite unlike any other Progressive Metal band that I have come across (which is probably why I like them as much as I do – But I digress). They have mastered creating their own unique, and highly memorable, sound, and they have done so while still making it an experience one can easily enjoy. It should be noted, however, that despite the strong dramatical feel present throughout Pent Letters, it is not to be mistaken for a concept album: You can easily listen to the tracks out of context, and each track is very good in its own right. If I were to recommend one particular song over the others, I would probably choose ”The Menippeah” due to the highly epic feel that it also adds to the album (probably due to the guest appearance from the lead singer from Evergrey). A link can be found below.

http://www.facebook.com/stormyatmosphere

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