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Ephel Duath - The Painter's Palette CD (album) cover


Ephel Duath


Experimental/Post Metal

4.17 | 116 ratings

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5 stars Not jazz, not metal, but both: 9/10

EPHEL DUATH (name probably inspired by Lord of the Rings' eponymous mountain range) has for a long time been mostly a duo that made blackish experimental metal. It's rather surprising to find out that in the band's second release, THE PAINTER'S PALETTE, not only they feature many more members, but they're also distinctively different from everything they've done thus far.

An exquisite mixture of SiktH-inspired mathcore moments and jazzy interludes with delicate solos accompanied by spectacular drumming, there's little to say about this other than "wow, I wasn't expecting that to work out alright", followed by some well-deserved headbanging. And boy it does! It does, because EPHEL DUATH's members are all accomplished musicians able to output some quality stuff from both sides of the spectre (metal and jazz). Now, to claim they've "amalgamed" aforementioned genres would be an overstatement and pretty much a blatant lie. The mathcore moments are starkly separated from the fusion interludes. What makes this work out alright, along with the quality of their work, is how they're able to smoothly transition from one moment to another.

And what's there to say about the drummer? Get ready to listen to some of metal (and jazz!)'s finest patterns and catchiest rhythms. He's not super technical and fancy nor crude and straightforward, he's -as I see it - a damn fine jazz drummer who was called to this weird metal band to do what he does best, jazz-drum.

Absolutely recommended for experimental/avant-garde/different metal fans, or for people who're CRAVING for some of that mythical "jazz metal" - so loudly spoken about but so hardly witnessed.

Luqueasaur | 5/5 |




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