by Nikita Alekseyevich Khrenov
My how fast two years fly by, seems like just last week I received my copy of Dialith’s debut album Extinction Six in the mail. This Connecticut power quartet now graces us with the first of three EP’s: Atrophy.
The band is well versed and capable in their craft, with their previous album garnering widespread praise and admiration — and thankfully, they chose to do anything but rest on their laurels. The lead single “Ignite the Sky” delivers exactly what you would want: masterfully executed power metal. Krista Sion’s vocals switch between a rock style in the verses and soaring operatic singing in the choruses. The instrumentals perfectly accompany the synth melody, filling out the soundscape perfectly.
“Sweet as Wine” follows next and this is where Dialith hits you with that unexpected uppercut to the jaw. Right off the bat the riffing is a lot heavier, harkening comparisons to At the Gates, with pounding drums. As the singing comes in the band returns to their power metal sound but with a much darker and heavier atmosphere all around. This song really showcases a wide array of the band’s influences, with Cullen Mitchell’s tasteful drumming grooving in just the right parts but with a healthy side of blast beats just for good measure.
“A Moment of Temptation” is a short little instrumental break to cleanse the palette before the final song “Undertow” pulls you under. Even more heavy elements bombard the listener, more shredding, groovy melodeath riffs, uplifting strings, and blast beats are used in equal measure all the while Krista’s singing narrates the close of this chapter. The end of the song even highlights what could be considered a breakdown but with more flavor crystals sprinkled throughout just in case one would think the band was selling out already.
Atrophy is a phenomenal slice of quality modern power metal. Much like Unleash the Archers, Dialith pulls from a variety of styles and sounds and manages to incorporate all of them in equal measure without feeling disjointed and slapped together. At 16 minutes, it definitely flies by and leaves the listener yearning for more, but then again that’s the brilliance of this model, so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for the next installment.
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