Angry Metal Guy
At their most well-behaved, members of the Fey Kingdom are mischievous. A wallet lost here, a child spirited away there, all good fun. But history has ever taught us that the Fey can, and will, be cruel. As per Scottish Folklore, it is there, in the Unseelie Court, where those malicious denizens of the Fey Kingdom dwell, and plot. Thus arrives New York-based newcomers Mythbegotten, here to divulge untold stories of what’s past the forest’s edge by reading from a musty old tome of Tales from the Unseelie Court. Mythbegotten promise a Tale unlike any other, but do they have what it takes to tell it?
Mythbegotten falls into the ever-vague category of “epic metal,” siphoning elements from folk, power, traditional, death, you name it, and weaving them into a grandiose musical experience. Varied though the palette can be, Mythbegotten’s bread and butter is a consistent folk/power affair that fits snugly between Blind Guardian, Twilight Force, and Euphoreon. There’s a healthy chunk of cheese amongst these Tales, but the focus is more on scale, with fun, tremendous choruses augmented by orchestration (“Omen of Embers,” “Of Wrath and Ruin”) and sweeping solos (“The Fall”). For a fresh, unsigned band, Mythbegotten sound great; the Tales are supported by a solid mix and Mythbegotten are talented musicians, but this highlights some rare inconsistencies in presentation. Sometimes the guitar work is tight as hell (“The Fall”) and other times it could be cleaned up a bit (the solo in “The Terror of Lothian”), and while the programmed drums sound good, some of the blast beats feel thin, but this never stops Mythbegotten’s epic amalgamation of musical styles from being easy to enjoy.
Tales from the Unseelie Court by Mythbegotten
The themes and stories behind all the songs within these Tales are as diverse as the genre influences. Open any book on folklore to a random page and you’ll find something that the Tales draw from, and it’s in this thematic intent that Mythbegotten truly comes into their own. Mythbegotten exudes confidence in how heavily they lean into these inspirations which in turn informs the songwriting. As such, no two songs are quite the same; one song, “The Heedless Horseman,” is a cautionary tale of the malevolent Irish Dullahan told through a jaunty, tavern-friendly tune, while the next, “Omen of Embers,” matches the exuberance of the Arthurian legends it’s based on through a gleeful power-metal chorus. All good Tales are made better by an excellent storyteller, and that’s exactly what vocalist Dan Barbour is. His voice is rich and full-bodied, capable of hitting the high notes, and full of character in the lower octaves. He’s what you’d get if Messiah Marcolin had an evil power-metal twin, and is the perfect muse to tell these diverse and captivating Tales.
Mythbegotten’s strength lies in fully playing into a song’s individual narrative, but these narratives translate better in some songs than others. “Beneath Exham Priory” is a Lovecraft-inspired song with an extended midsection of rapidly evolving riffs and melodies that emulate the onset of Lovecraftian insanity, but they never arrive at a satisfying climax and end up feeling aimless. In cases like this, I wish Mythbegotten would go even bigger with their theming. “The Terror of Lothian” continues the thematic trend of horror and has some solid, crunchy riffs, but outside of the lyrics, it doesn’t embrace the premise with as much vigor as other songs. In their defense, these tunes are fighting an uphill battle against “Of Wrath and Ruin,” the 13+ minute closer that beats Pathfinder at their own game. It effortlessly brings to life The Return of the King’s Battle of the Pelennor Fields through triumphant melodies, galloping riffs, and downright badass guitar/keyboard duet solos, and sets a high precedent for what Mythbegotten can do when the narrative fully envelops the songwriting. It has also made me furious that only this song and “The Fall” have keyboard solos, because they are fantastic.
Mythbegotten are still a little rough around the edges, but their Tales from the Unseelie Court make for a damn good debut. These guys are natural-born storytellers, and the way they weave narrative into music is a joy to experience. Between exciting riffs, stupendous vocals and clever orchestration, Mythbegotten took a wide array of genres and made them their own, lacing them with enough mystery and curiosity to fill a dozen musty old tomes. I’m looking forward to what they do next, but I’ve gotta say: Mythbegotten, if you’re reading this, please, please give us more keyboard solos in the next one, yeah?
Rating: Good!!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: facebook | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2024
The post Mythbegotten – Tales from the Unseelie Court Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
Sun Nov 03 14:27:50 GMT 2024