AthanaTheos – Cross. Deny. Glorify. Review

Each little detail in an album matters a lot in order to write the review. My job is to find anything that could be a hook to start writing and develop a text. First thing is to look for some sonic trait or even some visual feature that calls the eye. Experience told me it can be anything. I’ve started reviews only because of the cover or the name of the band. A hook is always a hook. It doesn’t really matter what will it be. Of course, the music is the most important thing in an album but to stand out of the crowd there’s got to be something else. First thing that attracts in this “Cross. Deny. Glorify.” is the outstanding drumming. In opening track “The Cross” the fan will get a true and clear spanking of the drums. The kind of spanking we metaller appreciate and praise all the time. Neverthless, it’s not only the spanking, it’s also the variations throughout the album. When the songs asks for something more cadenced, here it goes; when the song asks for something faster, here it goes the same. We really praise it.

The guitars in “Cross. Deny. Glorify.” follow some different path of standard Death Metal especially the solos. They are, most of the times, bright and clean with few notes. In a nutshell, they try to follow exactly what the song asks them to. That’s the case of “They Are Spreading the Pestilence” whose guitar solo is short and with few notes played. Thought there are three guitar players for the album, they kind of follow this simple formula of avoiding many notes and not relying on lots of effects. However, in tracks as “To Deny” I miss a more proheminant guitar riffing. I mean, I guess they should be a bit louder than they actually are to shine a bit more. After all this Metal music and guitars must loud, very loud. From where I’m standing vocals get in the way all the time receiving more attention than the guitars. The same happen with “The Silent Oblivion.” Of course, vocals deserve to be outstanding, however, my opinion is that the guitars need to be at the same volume at least.

This is an album that goes a bit out of the standard. But not too much to frighten the fan, nor to less to not catch the attention. hard balance this one, if you know what I’m saying.

P.S.: The art cover is from the painting “The Battle of the Milvian Bridge” by Giulio Romano (1524). Great idea.

AthanaTheos “Cross. Deny. Glorify.” will be released on April 14th Lavadome Productions.

Track Listing:

  1. The Cross
  2. You Were Not
  3. Credo Quia Absurdum
  4. They Are Spreading the Pestilence
  5. To Deny
  6. The Silent Oblivion
  7. Witness
  8. Rise of Terror, Rise of Intolerance
  9. To Glorify

Watch “The Silent Oblivion” official lyric video here:

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