Etherius, the progressive metal powerhouse, are gearing up to release their new album, Hymns of the Crimson Raven, on November 1st and it is sure to be a contender for album of the year. The band has been making a name for themself since their inception back in 2017 through the incorporation of modern-metal guitar work and classical-inspired melodies. I was certain that 2020's Chaos. Order. Renewal. was going to be close to impossible to follow-up, but the band took that challenge, faced it head-on, and absolutely exceeded expectations.
Led by guitarist Jay Tarantino, Etherius is showing the metal world that "good enough" is not good enough. Before diving into the album and parading around all the concepts that make this album such a classic-in-the-making, I would be an idiot to not mention how incredible this band is. Imagine Animals as Leaders, Megadeth, & Testament made a baby with the instrumental components of metal from the 1980's-1990's. Each track the band released caught my attention and was deemed as "my favorite" until I heard the next track, and the cycle started all over again. Hymns of the Crimson Raven sounds like something you would hear as the soundtrack to a film or video game. It is the type of album that would absolutely draw the attention of a young, and new, metal crowd, while simultaneously keeping the attention of seasoned metal fans.
While the entire release is nothing short of a masterpiece from start to finish, two tracks stand out as instant favorites: "Beneath the Land and Sea" and "The Dark Oracle". Something about these two tracks has just caught my attention and refused to loosen their grip. It is always impressive for a song to do that to a listener, but especially when there are no lyrics. Talk about an expert-class level of musicianship not easily seen across the genre and music scene.
There is only one thing I can think of that would make this upcoming better: If I somehow received the chance to experience this album in-full live. I obviously would need a friend to come with me to pick my jaw off the floor and carry me home as my soul left my body from this experience. Be sure to support the band by checking out their merch store and be sure to pick up the record as soon as you possibly can here.
