MYRATH

Myrath play a style of prog metal inspired by Symphony X and mmmmaybe a little Dream Theater, but enrich this with influences from the music of their Tunisian homeland. Whereas some bands might slip in music from North Africa or the Middle East for flavour, Myrath are no tourists - these are musical traditions they know inside and out and they are able to truly integrate them into the structure of their songs rather than toss these cultural allusions in as an empty affectation. On top of that, their mastery of progressive metal is also laudable, throwing in just enough bombast to get their point across without getting tediously heavy- handed. On the whole, this is a mature album which will hopefully give a higher profile to this hard-working unit.

I discovered this exotic band from Tunisia with a song from their second album last year on a sampler included in the normally pretty weak British Metal Hammer magazine but I forgot to check them out. With the release of their new third record, I remembered this talented band and decided to take my time and check their discography out. Obviously, I started with the band's first strike called "Hope". The five young men from Tunisia didn't disappoint me indeed and deliver a strong first record somewhere between progressive metal, power metal, thrash metal and some folk influences.

The only negative thing I could see is that some instrumental sections are sometimes too long and pointless. I must also admit that the albums has a little down with the mediocre half ballad "Fade Away" and "All my Fears" that gets lost in overwhelming instrumental wankery.

The rest of the album is of the grandest kind and in the end one of the most convincing progressive metal releases of the year 2007. A great introduction with a gracious folk mood leads perfectly to the true opener which is "Confession". I must confess that this is an amazing opener that varies from a great thrash riff in the beginning to some power metal or even neoclassical metal and shred passages in the middle parts to a more and more elaborated progressive style with haunting melodies, some citations of the classic music genre and a couple of orchestral Maghreb folk influences. There are so many influences and details in this song that I could listen to it over and over again and still discover something new each time I do so. This is not just amazing, it is perfect because the song still sounds coherent and logical within a running time of six and a half minutes.

The next songs are all amazing but not perfect. The only reason for this statement is that Myrath sometimes sound too much like their American influences Dream Theater or Symphony X. The title track "Hope" still convinces with some unusual riffs and a few exotic folk vibes but the middle part sounds too traditional. The epic "Seven Sins" has the same problem. If someone has told me that this was a song from some old Symphony X record of the nineties, I would have believed this without a doubt. Still, the song itself is great and features some amazing piano melodies. What I really like about the song is the fact that all instruments have an important role and get their time to shine. The amazing album closer "My Inner War" has the same approach but it pleases more to me because it sounds more coherent and focussed.

An exceptional track might be "Last Breath" that convinces with stunning drum patterns and orchestral folk sounds with a fresh breath of thrashing heaviness. This track reminds me a little bit of "Acrassicauda" from Iraq and this track here could have been an excellent single choice.

After all, this debut album is very promising and the band already has a perfect song on this album plus many great moments. The only thing I feel they need to improve is to find their own style and have the courage to get away from the American progressive and thrash sounds and European power metal sounds. If they ever succeed to do so, they might become the leaders of a wave of African metal in the world, maybe with the help of their colleagues from Arkan who are living in France but mostly come from Maghreb countries or even Threatening from Ouganda which would be really interesting. Anyway, give this album a couple of spins if you like well made diversified progressive metal. Meanwhile, I will check out the band's next two records pretty soon.

Originally published on www.metal-archives.com on September 28th of the year 2011.

Although it's a fairly established fact that Africa does not have the world's most abundant metal scene, an increasingly global economy has allowed plenty of excellent bands from exotic parts of the Earth to see greater commercial success than ever before. One band that has benefited from the modern age of internet communication and economic globalization is Tunisian progressive metal act Myrath. Though their country is currently in political turmoil, they've managed to see an impressive amount of recognition from metal fans worldwide with their third album, Tales of the Sands. And well-deserved recognition it is, indeed. Myrath's unique blend of melodic heavy metal, progressive metal, and traditional Arabic soundscapes immediately sets them apart from other prog metal acts on the scene today, and the fact that they have plenty of technical chops to back it up makes their music all the more worthwhile. Tales of the Sands is a highly successful effort that is both adventurous and professional; fans of progressive metal who are willing to hear the genre convincingly mixed with Arab influences are going to find lots to love on this record.

At the surface, Myrath's root sound can appear to be roughly similar to bands like Symphony X, Royal Hunt, Anubis Gate, and Kamelot with a few Arabic tendencies thrown in, but this is actually a rather false speculation. Rather than taking the established progressive metal formula and sprinkling Middle Eastern flavorings on top, Myrath instead takes both styles and puts them in a blender, thus allowing the two radically different genres to be thoroughly integrated into a style that can only be described as the band's own. Tales of the Sands is also a very heavy album, especially by your 'traditional non-growling' prog metal standards. The riffs chug along with a clear influence from more extreme variants of metal, the vocals are dynamic and powerful, and the drums frequently veer into fast double-kick sections. In spite of the distinctly modern brand of heaviness displayed by Myrath, they never lose sight of melody throughout Tales of the Sands - most of the songs are rather straightforward from a structural standpoint, but the melodic and catchy choruses keeps the band's 'formula' from ever growing stale. Of course, the spellbinding riffs will have an irresistibly headbanging effect on most metalheads, but I think it's the way these spectacular riffs are melded with memorable, yet entirely cheese-free, choruses is what will truly make this a memorable album for years to come. As nice as it would be to see Myrath venture beyond the five-minute songwriting format, they have obtained such a level of mastery on this style of composition that it's tough to complain.

Tales of the Sands is also incredibly well executed from all fronts, and the sleek production is probably what will immediately jump out to many listeners. The powerful, meaty sound perfectly complements the masculine metal riffs and progressive arrangements, and whilst it may be a bit too polished for some listeners, the quality of the sound is objectively spectacular. The musicians in Myrath are clearly quite experienced, and the tight rhythm section is arguably the band's finest asset - the downtuned, chugging riffs set the backbone for all of the tunes here, and they are simply hypnotizing. Zaher Zorgati's melodic and powerful vocals deliver every melody with precision and emotion, and his mid-ranged singing style consistently suits the mood of the music. His voice bears resemblance to more 'masculine' power metal vocalists like Russell Allen or Ralf Scheepers, but he still manages to sound like himself throughout the full album.

This is a memorable and professionally executed observation from Myrath, and there's really not too much to complain about when we're talking about an album with this level of quality. Tales of the Sands shows a creative young band with the ambition and ability to succeed in the crowded progressive metal climate, and I'm sure their heavy, melodic, and eclectic take on the genre will please many fans of the style. This is a truly excellent album, and I'll play it safe right now with a big 4 star rating. I may raise it even higher sometime in the future, but as of now Tales of the Sands still stands as a near-mandatory purchase. This is one of the most recommendable progressive metal albums from 2011.

'Desert Call' - Myrath (7/10)

Barring Antarctica and the Lovecraftian horrors that live there, Africa is the least prolific continent when in comes to heavy metal and progressive music. To most, this will come as an established fact rather than speculation; despite a wealth of culture, modern strife has kept Africa back from letting its voice out. There are exceptions however, as Myrath proudly indicates. Hailing from Tunisia, Myrath plays a polished style of progressive metal, in the style of Dream Theater and Symphony X. What sets Myrath apart- and thus makes them worthy of mention- is that they use sound of traditional Arabic music and fuse it into the metal sound. Similar in this respect to the more established Orphaned Land, Myrath has an exciting and epic sound, and 'Desert Call' will appeal to anyone looking for a progressive metal curveball.

Although metal is a community which often prides itself on being progressively-thinking and open-minded, too much metal gives the sense of deja vu; that it's already been done before, and will be done again. Ironically, progressive metal is a central offender for this, as it sometimes feels every band calling themselves 'prog metal' these days is either a Dream Theater clone, or a melodic hard rock group looking for an added edge in their marketing. Myrath fits the glove with the sound of current progressive metal, but they are made memorable by their defining trait; that is, there is a strong sound of Middle-Eastern music running in tandem with metal. Much like the bands Kamelot or Nightwish merge their metal elements with Western classical music, Myrath does the same with their own culture, and the outcome is impressive. Myrath are a very capable prog-power band regardless of the Middle-Eastern sounds, but without this new angle, I would not have such a vivid memory of them.

Importantly, 'Desert Call' does not use these traditional Arabic sounds as a gimmick, but beefs them up so that they're an integral part of the music and sound. Malek Ben Arbia's guitar playing is firmly rooted in the school of John Petrucci and Michael Romeo, but Zaher Zorguatti's vocals are keen to switch between acrobatic power metal wails and a signature Islamic holler, often within the course of a single vocal line. Seif Ouhibi's drums find the balance as well, at times delivering the powerful metal pummel, but also occasionally conjuring a beat that sounds like it could score a cinematic chase through Baghdad. The songwriting's greatest strength is their near-seamless ability to work the Middle-Eastern sounds into the music, but the more power metal-oriented aspects can exert a certain level of cheese. Many of these songs have memorable melodies and song structures, but I often felt that by the end of most tracks, I had heard a run-through of the chorus one, or two too many times. Bring into focus a lackluster sense of flow and possibly overdone length, and 'Desert Call' begins to lose its status as the 'metal revelation' it could have been.

Myrath's signature style was born with their debut 'Hope', and it continues to run strong in the blood of 'Desert Call'. Although the current trends of progressive metal are starting to die out, Myrath's ambitious pledge to bring the sounds of their home culture to metal gives a refreshing new perspective on a style that has rarely managed to hold my attention in recent years. Its cheesy power metal theatrics aside, 'Desert Call' is worth an easy recommendation.

Out of Africa...into my heart.

This could be the most exciting record of 2011, don't you think? The (almost perfect) blend of prog, metal and oriental music into a supersonic record blew my mind on the first listen. Yes, it's been a while since a metal prog album did that.

First things first: I've never heard something like that before. The Arabic singing both male and female, the great conga codas, the oriental melodies blended with (quite) heavy music is surprisingly original. Yes I use this word with parcimony. Originality scores big time with Tales of The Sand. We are submerged with the same old same old, and 2011 didn't skip it's turn. So rejoice people of the World, you'll have a great (underline great) time with this record, it's so entertaining you'll feel like dancing. I'm not joking, you actually can dance on Merciless Times!

If you like A.C.T and Muse's cross of short songs and catchy choruses with a punch around every corner, you have a winner. 100% growling-free, you'll be far away from the darkness and moodyness of regular metal. Myrath is not a 'despair' band, on the contrary!

When Myrath says dance you dance!

Simply, Myrath new album "Tales of the sand" is initially the top-notch album of 2011 for me but I prefer to wait a tad till the end of the year in desire of shunning hastiness...

Myrath created here the perfect combination of oriental atmospheres and Prog metal so far, and since I'm living in this part of the world it touches me like no one before due to the old and continuous disappointments with Arab's and oriental music scene, I think Myrath paved the way for a whole new music prospective in Arab countries and we will notice a bunch of bands doing similarly and influenced by them in the near future.

The album is highly melodic with rich, lush arrangements and stellar production created by THE Kevin Codfert, And regardless the five standard instruments, violins dominate Myrath's identity playing a big role by creating catchy melodic oriental phrases, and with the assist of "earthen hand drum" that resonates from time to time a tale of the sand image is completed.

The influence of Michael Romeo is clearly spotted in the guitarist riffage, stunning, powerful and versatile and even though the solos are not as good as the riffs in my opinion, still it fits the songs in general.

To highlight the album, all tracks are spectacular especially "Under Siege" "Merciless Times" "Sour Sigh" while track 9 "Beyond the Stars" contains one of the most devilish and head banging riffage i've ever heard while the Arabic chorus with Tunisian accent enrich the surprising moments of the track followed by an oriental phrase that reminded with the masters Laco tayfa a great band from turkey.

Overall the drummer is doing a good performance with a large variety of rhythms and rolls And the bassist is adding the salt to these savory meal especially in track 4 "Tales of the Sands" where he did a powerful -right in place- bassline.

Regarding the vocalist, I think Zaher will have a place beside the masters of Prog scene in the future, he succeeded in impressing with his dramatic versatile performance both in Arabic and English singing to the extent that he appended a new entertaining part to me which is "Arabic singing" (actually I forgot when I last sang in Arabic while listening to music!!!)

Finally and Literally I don't give full mark unless I'm pretty sure of what I'm reviewing, and in "Tales of the sand" case I couldn't find a particular reason for not giving a 5 stars, every single moment of the album is fantastic in its own right and I urge all Prog metal fans to give them an ear because Myrath is like putting symphony x, adagio and kamelot in a mixer creating a delicious irresistible cocktail, and I'm one hundred percent sure that it will carry you in a spanking new trip.

cheers.

Arabian sounds blended in with powerful metal riffs create a mesmirising journey.

Occasionally one hears an album that surprises for its sheer innovation. Myrath's "Tales of the Sands" was an immediate love affair for this reviewer. The music is absolutely stunning in it's originality and sleek powerful arrangements. There are truckloads of distorted metal riffs to divulge in, but the real drawcard is the way the band integrate Arabian/Tunisian melodies and instruments into the mix creating a sound that is unique and compelling. Right from the start on Under Siege, there is no mistaking the fact the band are staying close and true to the style of their country, and not only is this commendable, it is refreshing as this makes the band stand out among the plethora of other metal acts rising up. The female vocals are present on some tracks and overall the vocals are well performed, clean and powerfully delivered. The music is very listenable and quite complex utilising killer riffs and crunching time sig shapes using full blown metal blasts. There are fast tempo sections, blazing guitars, hammering drums and frenetic keyboards all balanced with strong melodic metal.

Braving the Seas is a fine example of the style of the band. The time sig shifts are terrific and the pace varies throughout. Zaher Zorgatti is an excellent vocalist, perhaps as good as any metal vocalist I have heard over recent years. He sings in English making this very accessible yet the style remains as oriental as anything you will hear from Tunisia. There is an Arabian feel throughout the album and this is noticeable especially on Merciless Times. The melody is infectious, particularly the fractured guitar riffs and wonderful keyboards by Elyes Bouchoucha that sound like Arabian violins.

On the title track Tales of the Sands the Tunisian flair is even more prominent and the massive bassline by Anis Jouini is powerful. The female vocals soar across all the metal rhythms, and it actually captures a Middle Eastern atmosphere. The keyboards match the distorted riffs and there is a divine lead break with some fret melting speed work from Malek Ben Arbia. It ends with an acoustic outro culminating in an amazing track that I could listen to numerous times and never tire of.

Oriental violin sounds begin Sour Sigh that are joined by devastating riffs and the accomplished vocals of Zaher Zorgatti. It builds in an intense chorus and some heart pounding rhythms. The riff at 3:38 is mesmirising and the lead break is sensational, serving to lift the track to another level. It reminds me of Dream Theater or Symphony X at times; dynamic metal with incredible vocals.

Dawn Within is a heavier track at first that settles into a moderate feel in the verses. There are fast paced passages balanced with melodic metal. At 2:03 minutes in it locks into a choppy riff and then is followed by the insane lead work of Malek Ben Arbia. The drum patterns of Saif Ouhibi are intense and expertly performed.

Wide Shut is one of my favourite tracks with strong Arabian keyboard violin sounds and guitar riffing. The complex time shifts on this are quite astounding. I recommend this track to all those who want to try the band for themselves. It encompasses all that makes this album great and unique. The lead break is dynamite with high squeals and frenetic speed, and there is a fabulous keyboard motif that the guitars riff along with. It even has a quiet section that showcases the gentler vocal expertise of Zorgatti.

Requiem for a Goodbye follows another dynamic synth line and Metallica like riffing, and a crunching hammer of guitar chords leading to a melodic chorus. The double kick drumming of Ouhibi are relentless. I particularly like the way the keyboard violins balance off all the distortion. Once again the lead break is scorching, super fast speed picking and sweeps, traded off with keyboard flourishes, similar to how Dream Theater take turns in the lengthy instrumental breaks. The whole thing soon settles down into a minimalist piano but it is temporary as the heavy guitars soon drive the track to its conclusion.

Beyond the Stars is another of the more Arabian sounding tracks with a violin sounding break towards the end and some warbling Arab style vocals throughout. It is a powerful mix and certainly is a part of this distinctive sound, blending perfectly and without pretentiousness. It is one of the reasons I rate this album so highly; it is unlike anything I have heard in prog metal and the band are so damned good at their craft it is amazing.

Time to Grow concludes the album with a forceful melody driven track that features a fast keyboard motif and lengthy instrumental lead break. This track sounds least Arabian but is short and the power metal riffs make a satisfying conclusion. The bonus track that is available is Apostrophe for a Legend, and it is not too bad though not as good as other tracks, sounding more AOR, though I like the melody.

In conclusion, I gained an enormous amount of enjoyment from this album, in particular the standout tracks are the title track, Under Siege, Braving the Seas, Sour Sigh, Wide Shut, Beyond the Stars and Requiem for a Goodbye. Overall the album can be recommended to Dream Theater, Symphony X, Kamelot or Riverside addicts. It is hard to find fault with it, as it just delivers from track to track; all killer and no filler. Metal heads will love this as will the prog fanatic into a heavier sound. It is certainly one of the most refreshing unique prog metal albums of recent times. I am going the full 5 stars for this; I was completely mesmirised from beginning to end.

Very interesting album!

I really love when I discover music from countries that I barely know (of course I don't mean physically), and it is always better when the music is well done, and of course when I like it. And this happens now with Myrath, a band previously unknown to me, but that caught my attention first because I saw they were from Tunisia, so when I received via Freeman Promotions the digital download invitation I did not hesitated and downloaded it.

"Tales of the Sands" is the third effort of this original prog metal band. It features ten compositions and a total time of 45 minutes where you will find complex compositions, metal with a mid-east /African flavor, cool vocals and great instrumentation overall. It starts with "Under Siege" and since the very first seconds I felt attracted, I like the female voice that appears after that keyboard beginning. Later heavy guitars and keyboards making that mid-east Arabic sound which is very attractive to me. I like it.

"Braving the Seas" follows the same path, the sound is actually alike, but that is simply Myrath's style, which is unique and acceptable. "Merciless Times" is a shorter track. I have to mention that the vocals are pretty nice, they do have that kind of Arabic tone, which is perfectly complemented by keyboards and that mid-east flavor.

The title track "Tales of the Sands" is a wonderful track, with very nice acoustic guitar and soft sound for the first seconds and then turns heavier with those cool guitars. There are also percussion that spices the sound and give it an even more interesting flavor. After three minutes there is a great guitar riff, accompanied by heavy drums and the always prominent Arabic keyboard sound. This is one of the highlights.

"Sour Sigh" once again has a soft start that only lasts for some seconds just before the song explodes and the rhythmical structure begins. This is another of my favorite pieces on this album, I love the vocal game and the instrumental moments (short but great), and including of course the powerful and exquisite guitar riffs. An original sound that determines Myrath's style and distinctive label.

"Dawn within" is the shortest track, but it is full of quality and originality no matter its length. The drums here are outstanding, making several and dramatic changes that talk about the quality of the drummer. But well, the quality of all the musicians is evident, there is no doubt about it. "Wide Shut" is another powerful song with outstanding use of keyboards and a great intercalation between instrumental and vocal parts. Excellent song!

"Requiem for a Goodbye" starts with chaotic and bombastic keyboards, then guitars, bass and drums, along with the voice joins and start building up a structure. Though this is a nice track, it is not one of their best, not one of my favorites either. It has a couple of nice solos, one of guitar and one of keyboards. It suddenly slows down and becomes tender, but all of a sudden returns to its powerful sound.

"Beyond the Stars" has a great vocal performance which has that wonderful and inherent Arabic flavor. The music follows the same path as the previous ones, but the good thing here is that instrumental interlude after three minutes, it is great. "Time to Grow" is the one that closes the album and reminds me to some older power metal bands, but of course, with Myrath's style.

It is a great metal album, an original sound from a band that should have more exposition and be better recognized. Even I, an skeptic man regarding the metal scene am pleased with this album, so I believe people who really love the genre will totally adore this album. My final grade is four stars.

Enjoy it!

The third album from this, to put it mildly, original sounding Tunisian prog metal band.

Take one large chunk of Arabic folk & popular music and then add it to that frying pan of progressive metal. That is the best label you can put on the music on this album...... and their previous two albums too. Myrath is one of a kind and even more original than Orphaned Land.

The music is most definate prog metal, but the added Arabic and some pomp prog aka Muse gives this album it's very own identity. I don't have a clue about the names of the various strange sounding Arabic instruments here. But the basis is guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and vocals. All of them performed with great skills. There is no doubts the band is excellent in their own right. A bit too close to Muse and Symphony X at times, but the Arabic influences overrules those influences. In short; there is nothing on this planet like Myrath.

I am not a fan of progressive metal by any means. But the quality of this album is great throughout and I cannot argue with that. This band knows how to write and record some great tunes. Like for example Braving The Seas.

In short, this album scores high in both the originality stakes and in the pure quality stakes. It should give the band the breakthrough they really deserves.

4 stars

'Tales Of The Sands' - Myrath (8/10)

Over the past few months, the world's eyes have been set on the Arab world, with breaths held in anticipation of the rapid political changes that are taking place. Myrath is a progressive outfit emerging from one of the region's smaller nations, Tunisia. Being the first metal band in the country to ever reach a wider audience, Myrath (the Arabic word for 'Legend') have engaged audiences already with two albums of top-tier progressive metal, fusing Middle-Eastern traditional musical influences in with their brand of melodic metal, much as the more established band Orphaned Land does. With a unique mixture of sound, excellent songwriting, and great execution, Myrath's 'Tales Of The Sands' is a fantastic album in its own right.

Being someone who was under the impression that exciting melodic prog metal died around the turn of the millennium under a blanket of Dream Theater clones, it has been a huge refreshment to hear a band that may be doing something similar to the legends of the genre, but are putting a validating new angle on their sound. Before listening to what Myrath had to offer, I was admittedly fighting a doubt that this could be a run-of-the-mill power metal band, using sounds of their homeland as a gimmick to pull in listeners, but as is fairly rare for my experience with metal music, I was proven wrong. While progressive power metal mixed with Arabic music sounds pretty much as one might expect, the Oriental sounds in the music are infused superbly in with the metal, not sounding contrived, but instead as a sincere element of the songwriting.

As far as Myrath's overall sound is concerned, I could most easily compare them to the neoclassical power metal titans Kamelot, except with the obvious replacement of European classical influence in favour of Middle-Eastern music. 'Tales Of The Sands' is a noticeable lean away from the Oriental sounds when compared to their earlier work; the Arabic music is still an integral part of the music, but its presence is more moderate. Without this main draw of their sound though, Myrath would still be an upper tier melodic progressive metal band. They do sound quite a bit like bands like Symphony X or Kamelot, but the whole thing is done so well, and unlike so many melodic prog metal apostles, Myrath knows how to make it heavy . The guitar parts here are chugging and low in many parts, especially on a track like 'Sour Sigh', which moves from a dramatic symphonic intro to a series of dark and heavy riffs that makes you think there could be a growl around any corner, but Myrath sticks to the clean and melodic vocals.

Zaher Zorgatti really a magnificent vocalist, and while at times he sounds like a pretty standard power metal vocalist, its his ability to do the metal vocals and traditional Arabic vocals with equal strength. The metal instrumentalists here are excellent, with a particular applause going to the rhythm guitar sections, which manage to sound larger than life. The Middle-Eastern sounds here are also much more than the gimmick I thought they might pull; it really sounds like authentic Arabic music has been mixed in with the metal. It's the Oriental influences which take the album from being great to being excellent.

There's really not too much I could complain about when it comes to Myrath's third album. The songwriting is all top-notch, even when the band ends their album on an AOR note with 'Apostrophe For A Legend'. It would be great to hear this band take their exciting blend of styles past the four or five minute mark and compose something even more ambitious, but Myrath's work is consistent and expertly produced. This is a great album from Tunisia's contribution to the metal scene, and I've been pleasantly surprised by this band's sound.