Shadowpath – The Aeon Discordance
Shadowpath is a four-piece Progressive Melodic Symphonic Death Metal band from Switzerland. Tracing their origins back to 2005 under a different name, they took on the moniker Shadowpath in 2006, looking to make a name for themselves in an area where Metal was already well established and finding a way to be unique was not easy. Fast forward almost two decades and you will hear they have managed to become something that is new and intriguing by fusing numerous sub-genres into a beautiful amalgam of tones and textures. The Aeon Discordance is their second full-length LP and it has cemented Shadowpath as one of the unique bands on the scene at this time.
Band Members:
- Simone Christina – Lead Vocals
- Philipp Bohny – Keyboards/Growls/Backing Vocals
- James Pankhurst – Guitars/Bass/Backing Vocals
- Samuel Baumann – Drums/Percussion
Release Date:
March 10, 2024
Self-Released
Tracklist:
- The Lifeline Economist
- – Chapter 1: Rise Of The Sycophants
- – Chapter 2: A Tale Of Apathy And Glee
- – Chapter 3: Euler’s Identity
- Outside The Tetrahedron
- Unwounded We Bleed
- A Coming Storm
- Reveries In Blue
- Homecoming (Sleepy Lies The Forest)
- Eyes Of Our Brothers
- Demons Within
- At The End Of It All
You know the album has a story to tell when the first track is almost 16 minutes and has three chapters. “The Lifeline Economist” runs through a variety of time, tempo, and tonal changes as it weaves through those three sections. You get clean vocals from both male and female as well as harsh male vocals. Having three different singers allows for more range in the writing. You can play with characters and go for more of a Metal Opera rather than just a concept album. This track has everything Shadowpath has to offer; Technical, Progressive, Symphonic, Power, and Epic Metal.
Without digging into the lyrics too much, I hear an epic tale of a journey with trials and tribulations along the way. Facing personal trials in “A Coming Storm,” a battle between the internal good and evil during “Demons Within,” and the final battle in “At The End Of It All.” The journey covers many miles, trials of unknown peril, and emotional struggles. Those emotional struggles are echoed in the music, augmenting the lyric aspects of the record.
The battle with darkness is heralded by heavy riffing and bombastic rhythms while the times of enlightenment, fear, and despair are highlighted by hearing the music go eerie, haunted, or joyous. More and more of these albums are delving into Technical Death Metal to add darkness, going for harsh vocals and gloomier styles rather than just using a deeper tuning or painful, angry lyrics. The use of the harsh vocals accentuates the darker themes better than just using harsher word choices.
Shadowpath also uses different orchestral elements to initiate the changes in tone. You get a lot of the heavier guitar riffing coupled with brutal rhythms, but you also get the lighter keyboards and strings, including what I think is a harp. I feel like I hear wind instruments at some points and I know the keyboards range from ethereal supporting tones to more piano-based leads and fills. The music evokes tons of emotion, driving the theme home, and giving the words more power when supported with eloquent compositions.
Shadowpath defies simple categorization by weaving gracefully through a wide variety of styles, mixing them to form what can only be described as stunning. There is so much to hear on this record. Joy, fear, anger, sadness, and triumph are but a few of the emotions you will experience while listening to this Epic Metal album. This is not a perfect album. I do hear some things that feel slightly off in the mix, but it rates the score I’m giving it for the sheer audacity Shadowpath exhibits for pulling off something this grandiose on just their second album.
MZ Ratings:
Musicianship:
- Guitars – 10
- Rhythms – 10
- Vocals – 10
- Songwriting – 10
- Production – 10
Overall – 10.00
